What We Live For
by Furiouswind
Summary: The continuation of my first story, What We Die For, the SSS2 continue to wage their bloody war but all is not what it seems. The war will end, and the question is by whose hand will it end by? And who will remain after?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: HELLO EVERYONE! It's been a long while and all of my exams are over! I'm done with University life! Which is sad because now I will have to face the working World. But for now, I will relax. I'm sure all of you have been somewhat anxious at me getting this done and truth be told, I'm quite excited myself to unveil this. My plan was to upload this on the first day of 2011, but the champagne and the late night partying got to my head. Not to mention Jet-lag.

Another problem I faced was the fact that after writing the first half, I feel as though this second half might be unable to reach the same standard, and I am aiming for something BETTER than the first. Normally that would be easy, but my brain refuses to do it this time properly. Oh well, we'll just have to go along with this for now.

Anyway, this time around, we will look away from Kou's point of view and centre our attention on a newcomer. I wrote out in the previous story that there was a recruitment phase. Because Kou is special and rather skilled, she skipped that process. This newcomer will go through it and much more. At least that's the plan.

You will see a lot of old faces (most of which you readers should know very well), and a lot of new faces. If you noticed for the first fic, I was writing in first person view all the way until Kou went berserk. That was intentional. It was to represent leaving sanity and now we'll observe things from a new person's point of view. Of course, I'm rather fond of writing in 3rd person format, so we'll stick to that, until it gets too confusing because of the 'he' and 'she'.

I really liked that extra episode, but not what I was expecting. Not at all Maeda... not at all. And if the second season is confirmed, I may be slightly irritated and may change some stuff. I like canon stuff.

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Angel Beats!, all of that belongs to Maeda Jun and the production members of Key. I also do not own any characters who came from my dear readers and fellow writers. Keeping doing what you all do. All other OCs and story ideas belong to me.

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 1_

_Soul_

Lives lost, the battlefield of the fallen. Struggling to survive in a World where you risk your soul in a dangerous game to survive. Forever disappear in nothingness, or lose yourself in the madness of war. The memories of which these young brave souls hold onto, the lives which they never wish to leave. The proof of their existence. Each of them held onto a dark past, a secret that bound them to this World. Regret, despair, anger, hatred. Lives without hope, lives without meaning. They had lived a life that they never felt satisfied with. A life that only caused them more pain and anguish than before.

Each walked down their own path, each had their own story to tell. At the end of each road, their lives would only amount to such a level. They could not tell you how they lived. They can only tell you how they died. Yet, such negative emotions were what chained them to that wretched World. A World in which they have to constantly battle an enemy that never disappears, an enemy that never rests, and an enemy that will never give up. They grow tired and weary of this battle, but still cling onto to survive. They are willing to fight with everything they have to secure their one treasure. Their very existence. Something so simple yet so complex. The proof of their worth, of their lives. The footprints of their past and the blood the battles won and lost. For such a prize they are willing to fight for it. It is what they are willing to die for.

* * *

The young man looked up at the young woman who stood before him with a pistol aimed at his head. The two looked at each other without a word. Not even with all of the sounds of gun fire, or the explosions around them made them look away.

"Are you alive?"

And thus, the fateful meeting.

* * *

An explosion caused him to stir. Something wasn't right. His ears were ringing. He slowly opened his eyes, finding himself staring up to a star covered night sky. Was it night time? He slowly got up, feeling slightly out of it as his body was aching from head to toe. Rubbing the large lump on the back of his head, he looked up. Straight down the barrel of a rather large pistol.

"... Eh?"

He looked at the girl who held the gun. A beautiful girl with long flowing hair and a pair of fierce, determined and rather scary eyes. But somehow he could see something else behind those eyes. A deep void. An emptiness behind those dark eyes. As he continued to look at her, she continued to look at him. Loud gun fire from other people dressed in similar uniforms to her as they attacked dark mist like creatures did not even phase their gaze. The young man and the young woman did not blink, nor say anything. Just looked at each other. To be honest, their staring was quite long and rather unnatural. And so the first to say something, was-

"Die you scumbag."

The girl said, pulling the hammer of her pistol back.

"... EH? Isn't that sentence a little wrong? What happened to the 'fateful meeting' part? You're line is completely wrong!"

The young man shouted back in defence, hoping to stave off what would perhaps be a rather quick and fateful end.

"... tch."

The girl clucked her tongue in irritation.

"That's rather insulting."

"Fine... Are you alive?"

She asked in the most lazy and irritated voice she could muster.

"Please do this seriously!"

The young man sighed, shaking his head as he gave up the prospects of this story going anywhere.

"So, are you alive?"

The girl asked once more.

"... Probably. I think."

The girl studied him for a while longer, as though trying to find some fault in him. Was it really that bad? Then, she extended out her arm to him. He stared at her gesture with some puzzlement and confusion.

"... Huh?"

"Take my hand."

The young man seemed slightly hesitant, but took her hand anyway. With surprising strength, she pulled him up to his feet.

"Thanks."

He said, dusting his pants, but when he looked back up to her, he saw her draw her sword quickly at him. He barely had time to blink just as her blade stopped a mere inch from his neck. He stood there in shock, his mind blanking out as the steel edge was just a hair's breath away from his skin. He could feel his own sweat trickle down and get caught by the blade. But an inhuman shriek from behind made him turn, and he saw something large and black right behind him. The girl twisted her blade and cut upwards, slicing through the shadowy creature with ease. The shadow gave an inhuman shriek before disappearing into a strings of ones and zeroes. The girl sheathed her blade and turned around, heading back to a classroom while more students wearing the same kind of uniform she was wearing charged on past her in the opposite direction.

"H-hey, wait!"

He called out to her but to no avail. Just where was this place? And what was that thing just now? Everything was a little too intensive and too quickly for him to register it properly.

"Give it up, kid. Kou isn't the type of girl to give you a second look even if you were God on Earth."

A rather strong arm gripped his shoulder. He turned to see a girl standing there wearing a beret and having her right sleeve rolled up. He also did not miss the large cleaver she was carrying.

"That's _'Captain Kurogane'_ to you, Takamachi."

Another girl said, walking over with a stare nasty enough to make the young man wince. The second girl had her long hair tied into a ponytail and she had headphones wrapped around her neck that was blaring out some loud rock music. The first girl, Takamachi, sighed and waved the second girl off.

"You don't need to be so uptight about it. No one here actually follows the ranking system anyway. Besides, Kou doesn't care."

"I care."

"Fine, fine. Go ahead and call her that. I'm sure Kou will finally 'appreciate' you for it."

Takamachi replied in a sarcastic tone, earning a glare from the second girl.

"Takamachi, you-"

A loud explosion from the battle up ahead cut her off.

"Erm... i'm not too sure what is happening, but shouldn't the two of you be doing something about that?"

The young man asked. Takamachi looked at him with a raised eyebrow, then looked down and noticed his uniform. It wasn't like theirs.

"You're an NPC?"

Takamachi asked, suddenly jumping back and raising her weapon defensively as though he was the enemy.

"Wa-wait a minute! NPC? What's that? Stop pointing such dangerous things at me!"

"... You're not an NPC?"

Takamachi asked, before putting down her weapon.

"Come to think of it, if Kou rescued you-"

"'Captain Kurogane'."

"Whatever. If Kou rescued you, it must mean you aren't an NPC... still, for a newcomer to appear right in the middle of a battlefield. You sure have some luck."

"Er... Right."

The young man replied, not sure if that was a compliment or not. Another explosion made him cower slightly, but the two girls did not seem fazed by it.

"Erm... isn't there a battle going on or something? Everyone seems to be charging towards the explosions so-"

"Oh, a large group of Shadows appeared, so the entire Assault division was mobilized. We were sent in too, but it looks like there isn't much for us to do, so we're heading back."

The young man was clearly confused at this point. Takamachi noticed this and slung her arm around his shoulder with a smile.

"Don't worry, everything will be clear later. For now, let's get off this field and find some nice Key Coffee to rest our shoulders. Welcome to the afterlife."

* * *

The young man was led out of the battlefield, which was later revealed to bethe track field of some school. There were hundred of students, all wearing similar uniforms that were completely different from what he was wearing. All bearing the insignia of 'SSS2'. More armed students ran past them in the hallway of the building Takamachi and the second girl led him into, while some other students were carrying the injured and bandaging their wounds. This was a war zone, a place no kid should be. But no one seemed to care about the carnage that was going on around them. Even Takamachi was humming a merry tune as she led the way through the hall towards the end of the corridor. It was slightly odd, maybe she didn't have any normal feelings? What if he was being led by a maniac? But others did not seem to pay Takamachi's humming any heed. Rather, he noticed that the students who saw Takamachi and the second girl all had a certain look of relief, and... respect?

"It's the shinigami! The shinigami are back!"

One of the injured spoke up excitedly.

"That means we're winning this battle!"

Another exclaimed, and almost like magic, the entire place seemed to liven up with cheers and smiles. What was going on? In the first place, how can you be so happy that the death Gods are back? Takamachi led the young man into a room at the end of the corridor, and the first thing the young man noticed about the room was the lack of furnitures. Only a single long table in the middle of the room, and several study desks pushed the side of the room. Standing over the table was a small girl, pouring over maps and documents that were scattered over the table. She seemed to be too focused on the documents to even take notice of Takamachi and the young man's entry into the room.

"Kou, we're back."

Takamachi said, walking over to the side of the room and placing her large cleaver down, as well as placing her weapons and equipment down beside her larger weapon. She then walked over to the other end of the room, where the young man noticed a lone figure sitting on one of the study desks against the window with one leg propped up on the table. The pale moon light illuminating her soft and expressionless face. A giant scythe in her hand made her seem like a dangerous existence, yet somehow so empty. That girl. It was her who pointed her weapon at him and also saved him. The first person he met in this World. Her beauty greatly amplified by the rays of the moon, giving her an unnatural grace that was seductively intoxicating. Almost like-

"... An angel."

The young man muttered under his breath without realizing it. But that sentence seemed to trigger an immediate reaction as the 'angel' suddenly drew a STI Edge custom and fired a round straight at him. The bullet missed slightly, grazing his cheek and drawing blood. The entire event happened so suddenly that no one even registered what happened till ten seconds had past after the event.

"Don't... you dare... mutter that word in here."

The girl with the smoking gun glared at him. Though her eyes and her overall presence seemed to show an empty existence, there was a lingering hatred in her tone when she said that.

"Okay, let's put that away before you make someone lose an eye."

Takamachi said, making the girl, Kou, put her weapon down.

"... Yukari, why is that guy here?"

Kou asked, pointing to the young man.

"Well, he's a new guy, so i thought i could bring him along until this night dies down. Then we can hand him over to Yuki. Besides, i think Fort is rather busy at the moment."

Takamachi replied simply, though it seems too simplified to the young man. Kou did not say anything, narrowing her eyes at the young man before looking back out of the window.

"Sorry about that, our leader can be slightly cranky at times."

Yukari told him when she walked over back to him.

"Leader?"

He wondered out loud, still able to grasp the entire situation entirely.

"Yeah. Officially, we're known as the Guardians, a specialized anti-non-human unit. We work separately from the other five divisions and have sometimes been called the 'spec ops' of the SSS2. Unofficially, we've been called the 'shinigami', since our leader is the rather infamous 'reaper'. Kurogane Kou may look like a pretty face, but trust me when i say that you don't want to mess with her."

Yukari smirked, hinting the young man's entrancement with the mysterious leader of this 'shinigami' squad. His face turned slightly red at that.

"Get too close to her, and you might have your head permanently cleaved off. Don't think any healing or revival can undo that. Of course, you can worry about that after you get through our dear self-proclaimed second in command, Amatsu Len."

Yukari pointed to the second girl who was with them when walking over here. Len glared at the young man from across the room, slamming a clip into her pistol with the slight inclination of her wanting to use it on the man.

"She's rather attached to our dear leader, almost to a fault. Just try not to get on her bad side... which is try not to talk to her at all."

Just how bad can she be? The young man decided that this whole room of girls must be crazy. He isn't too far off.

"The one pouring over the maps is Minami Shino-chan. She's our operator and strategist. She's really smart, though rather timid and naive. Let's see... most of our members are out finishing up the battle, but there should be one person whom you should know of because you'd never know where she may pop up. Asakura Shion is our sniper. She doesn't like it if you don't call her by her name, so be careful. Last, but not least, is me. Takamachi Yukari, at your service. Anything from moving bulldozers to destroying a building, just call on me."

Yukari smiled while beating her chest with great confidence. The young man seriously did not expect this girl to be taken seriously, but then again, nothing can be taken at face value so far. Maybe she could really move a bulldozer. Still, something bugged him.

"... Are there any guys?"

He asked, noticing the obvious lack of testosterone in the room.

"Oh, there are, just not a lot. You'll meet them eventually, if you're transferred into this unit, that is. Of course, this unit is special where you don't get picked out from the recruitment batch, but rather _**WE **_pick _**YOU**_ from other divisions. Everyone in this unit had been with the SSS2 for at least three years before our Kou will allow them into the unit. Which is why we only number twenty."

Unit? Now things were really getting confusing.

"Erm... I'm not too sure what is going on here. Can someone explain all of this to me? What is all of this mean? What is this place?"

The young man asked, causing Yukari to stop and stare at him with a blank expression, before she realized her own mistake.

"Oh, sorry about all that. I'm not used to introducing new comers to this World. That job is usually up to Tanaka over at Fort. Have a seat, this might take some time."

Yukari pointed to a desk over by the side of the room. Not too sure what she meant by this gesture, the young man walked over to the desk and sat on it. Yukari sat on the desk opposite him, brushing her bangs away from her eyes before beginning.

"This is the afterlife, like i said before. We are souls that linger on after death, bound by the chains of regret. In this World, there are those who look human, but are not. Like mere robots, they go about to classes in this school like it is all normal. However our prolonged presence in this World must have caused a fail-safe system to occur, causing some of these 'general students' to transform into large dark monsters we call 'Shadows'. I'm sure you remember one of those things."

The young man remembered it clearly. The monster that was behind him and Kou rescued him from it. But something bothered him about what Yukari said.

"Fail-safe system?"

"What we have discovered is that this World works according to certain specific rules. Much like a computer program, there are things we can do and things we cannot do. So if we think about it like a computer program, it would be much easier to understand, as well as it being easier for us to stay sane while fighting our enemies."

Yukari explained, before continuing on.

"We fight these creatures as they have a strange ability to convert us into those mindless 'general' students."

"... Convert?"

The young man felt nothing but dread from that word. Somehow or rather it sent fear throughout his entire body, but it also seemed something more mysterious than that. It was hard to place what exact word could describe the strange feelings he was having with this concept.

"Some of the guys here like to call it 'Eating'. Can't say it would make things more interesting, but if that's what they want to call it, then sure."

Whatever strange feeling he had was gone the moment Yukari said that. So much for breaking the mood.

"Anyway, we're all trying to stay alive in this World, which can be rather ironic, considering that we're all already dead. But..."

Yukari trailed off for a moment, her eyes shifting to her mysterious leader. That slightly long pause seemed to emphasize on something sad, something dark, something that would weigh heavily on everyone. This was some emotional strain that the young man could feel and comprehend, but unable to understand.

"... But we're all just doing what we must."

* * *

A/N: So? How do you guys think? It's slightly awkward at the start, but I'm sure it will be better later. I hope, at least. Anyway, I have not written out much since I need to settle some stuff on my personal end. I'm sure I'll be able to submit something soon.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hey guys, thanks for continuing to support me. It's been a trying year for me so far and it's only been one month! Can you believe it? It's already been more than half a year since Angel Beats! ended and about half a year since I started this long journey with you guys. Time sure flies, doesn't it?

Anyway, as I stated before, I had switched to third person narrative because I like it, but there is another reason behind this third person narrative, and those with sharp minds and have been paying attention thus far, you will realize what I mean. I won't spoil it for those you who don't get it. For those who do get it, I would like to ask you to be quiet about it. Thanks for your cooperation.

BTW, I have added a few things, and this chapter will answer the question on everyone's mind: How much time has passed since the last fic. This chapter will answer that very question. As for the other, why Kou reacts violently to the word 'Angel', that will be answered in the next chapter. Don't worry, I have already written out more than half of the next chapter by the time you read this so you won't have to wait long for an answer.

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 2_

_Welcome to Hell_:  
_Enjoy Your Stay_

"Alright! Wake up!"

A loud voice made him stir slightly. His eyes slowly opened, the view of the ceiling came slowly into focus. The lights within the room turned on, resulting in a whole bunch of moaning and groaning from others in the room. The young man groggily sat up, his brain not working too well to adjusting to anything in particular at the moment. Slowly looking around, he found himself in a small classroom of sorts. Tables were pushed together to form make-shift beds, and they weren't in the least comfortable to rest a weary back. Besides himself, there were about twenty others who were instructed to sleep in the same room. Every single one of them were new comers to this strange new World, but not all of them came on the same day.

"How long are they going to keep locking us in here? I'm already starting to feel uncomfortable."

One of the women in the room complained.

"Ah, there she goes again."

The guy who rested on the tables next to his muttered.

"If only she would just keep her mouth shut, she would look rather pretty, don't you think?"

The young man shrugged, not really sure on how to reply to that statement, or if he even wanted to in the first place. It was true that it had been two days since he came to this place. The morning after he was rescued by the Guardians, he was handed over to a person called 'Imagawa Jin'. A rather rough fellow who wasn't afraid to scold and bark orders at anyone. He was pushed into this room where he joined the group of students wearing uniform similar to his. This was probably one of the biggest difference between them and the ones who held them in this room, the uniform. They were all obviously newcomers and lost in some sort of strange World where students were waging war against strange monsters. But instead of offering them protection, they were instead forced to stay locked up in this room like prisoners. Guards stood outside with guns and gave them food three times a day, but said nothing to them at all. This time was somewhat different. That same jerk, Imagawa Jin, came in and started to shout and bark at them to wake up. He even kicked one guy still sleeping to wake him. Accompanying Imagawa were four armed students, who obviously were trained to use those weapons. They stood by his side, emotionless and stoic at the scene before them that resembled an internment camp for prisoners of war.

"Hey! Don't ignore me! You locked us in here for a week and now you expect us to simply follow you? Just who do you think you are-"

The woman who complained before was immediately silenced when Imagawa drew a pistol and shot her squarely in the head. Her body flew backwards and landed on the floor like a rag doll. Some of the other girls screamed in horror at what happened.

"Shut up! Don't think that just because you're a girl i would not dare to use this against you!"

Imagawa shouted, silencing the screaming girls. He glared at every single one of the them in the room, before holstering his pistol.

"No one would want to piss me off, got it? Now, all of you, follow me."

Imagawa said, turning around and nodding to two of the guards. The two students, one male and one female, walked over to the corpse of the girl who was shot and simply picked the body up and carried it out without even showing a hint of disgust. They were all used to it. A little too used to it.

"Come on! Move it!"

Imagawa's voice forced the rest of the group to get into a line and follow him out of the room. The young man looked around as he followed in line down the hallway. The corridors were filled with students wearing similar uniforms to their captors, each armed with a gun and were each doing their own things. Some were keeping watch outside the windows, some were moving documents and supplies. There were also some who were simply chatting amongst themselves in a cheery and relaxed manner. This entire scene would fit with either a military base, or just a normal school with very dangerous weapons lying around. Some of the other members saw the line of new comers and began to whisper and talk amongst themselves. Most likely they were talking about something he did not want to know about.

"They must be talking about me."

The guy from before smirked, winking at a couple of girls, who only giggled at his actions.

"They love me."

He said with such disgusting confidence that the young man was rather disturbed himself. The other man wasn't exactly good looking, though he would not be considered ugly either. His roughed up hair had not been able to fully cover up an obvious scar on his forehead. The young man noticed it, but did not question.

"Alright, all of you, we're here."

Imagawa said, stopping the entire line. The young man looked up and saw that they had stopped right outside the principal's office. A strange feeling crept on him, and apparently it was on everyone else's mind. There was something, or someone, in this room that held some immense power and presence. Standing outside the room were four student guards standing at silent attention.

"All of you will now meet our leaders. Do not be disrespectful, do not talk back unless told to. Do not try anything funny. Any breach of these rules and we will open fire on you. Remember that."

Imagawa warned, before nodding to one of the guards standing by the door. The guard knocked on the door before opening it. Imagawa led them inside, where a whole group of people were waiting for them inside. Armed students stood by the side of the room, all having their weapons aimed at the newcomers stepping into the room. But there were also unarmed personnel in the room as well. In particular six individuals, of which one of them the young man recognized almost right away. Kurogane Kou leaned against the wall at the far end of the room, her eyes still holding onto that same emotionless and empty self. Standing next to her was Amatsu Len, the one that Yukari warned him never to cross paths with. It seems that Len was standing next to Kou like her own personal guard,like how each of the other five unarmed individuals each had a personalized guard next to them.

"Are these the new recruits? They don't look like much."

One of the unarmed individuals laughed, crossing his legs on the sofa he sat on. The speaker was a largely built man dressed in a military variant of the uniform who had distinctive European features, but he spoke Japanese with such fluency that if you closed your eyes you wouldn't be able to tell.

"Ein, it isn't good to laugh just yet. Some of these kids will be under you soon."

The girl with long purple hair next to him said.

"Kyou is right, Ein-chii. The last time you underestimated a recruit, she later became your right hand man."

A girl dressed in work overalls laughed, sitting on the sofa across from the large man while winking to the purple haired girl.

"Alright, enough chatter. It is time we get down to business."

Spoke out one rather commanding voice. Sitting behind the main desk at the end of the room, guarded by two personal guards, was a young girl with long dark hair. Her distinct blue eyes seemed to stare coldly straight through everyone. With a black beret on her head and a men's blazer hanging only on shoulders, this girl seemed to be boss of this entire place. Everything about her just screamed as such. Some of the newcomers, particularly the girls, seemed to cower by instinct. The girl seemed to notice this, but did not say anything about it.

"Jin, there were meant to be twenty-one. There's only twenty here."

She said.

"Yes, I had to shoot one that was being too noisy and uncooperative-"

**BANG**

Imagawa dropped dead to the ground with a bullet hole to the head. The smoking gun was held none other than the girl behind the desk.

"Aicha~, that idiot had to piss off Yuki-chii. Well, never liked him anyway."

The girl in overalls smirked, reaching out for some snacks on the table in front of her. A rather sleepy looking girl seemed to take interest in the scene, tugging at the guy's sleeve next to her.

"Take note, Jinnai, we should use that for that the next-"

"Rejected."

"Eh~? Why? I didn't even say anything-"

"You may get good ideas from time to time, Awase, but they are by no means safe to use it."

"Jinnai, you bully."

Obviously not a very productive conversation. The girl behind the desk cleared her throat once more as guards dragged the limp body of Imagawa out of the door.

"I apologize for the shock. Jin is an idiot."

She sighed, shaking her head in dismay.

"You should not have picked him for the job, Yuki."

The large man said, crossing his arms.

"He volunteered for it... Nevermind."

The one called Yuki turned back to the newcomers, her gaze now inducing a greater sense of fear in the newcomer's group.

"All of you are dead."

.

.

.

.

.

Yuki said with such suddenness and confidence that didn't really mix well, creating a great amount of silence. For a full five minutes to be exact.

"... Not exactly a great start for a speech."

Len muttered from the corner.

"This is the afterlife. Each and everyone of you had died, and most of you should have remembered that, some of you may not. But it matters not. This is the afterlife, and you have been sent here to fulfill some unfulfilled part of your lives. The choice presented to you now is this. You can a) Fulfill your regrets and pass on; b) Just wander around and join the normal lessons that take place here in order to pass on; or c) Join us."

Yuki's introduction was shocking, but it also made some of the newcomers start to question things amongst themselves.

"You never even introduced yourselves, you shot one of us, tell us that we're all dead, and now this?"

One of the guys demanded. Yuki sighed, shaking her head.

"This is the afterlife, so no one will die even if we did shoot you. You may die, but you will revive shortly after. The reason why we do not introduce ourselves is due to security measures. We must first know whether you are determined or not. Now choose. Do you wish to pass on without incident? Risk becoming our enemy? Or join us? Those who wish to join us, step forward."

This was a tough choice to make. The young man looked at the others in the group. Some were having doubts, and most were unsure of what was going on. If Yukari had not explained what was going on to him that night, he would be equally lost and confused. He looked over to where Kou was at. She seemed to be slightly bored, though her expressions did not hint as such. For the young man, however, his mind was made up.

"I-"

"I will join!"

The noisy guy from before shouted, stepping forward with great confidence.

"Ho~? We've got a brave one here."

The girl in the overalls smirked.

"Are you sure you know what you are doing? This is something that isn't supposed to be taken lightly. We are in a fight for our lives, for our very existence. Stepping into our World means that you would not only risk your life, but also gambling on your very soul. Are you really sure of this?"

Yuki asked. The noisy guy snorted at that question, still having his chest quite filled with confidence from who-knows-where.

"Hmph, what a foolish question. My soul isn't worth the gamble. But my life was quite a boring one. Regrets or not, I would not forgive myself if i don't take this chance to change. This isn't to help you, or to simply prolong my life. This is simply my selfish wish."

He said that with such confidence and bravado that the young man could not help but simply stare.

"Pft.. ha ha ha! This is rich!"

The girl in the overalls started laughing, and soon some of the others began to laugh a little. Except for Kou.

"It is good to have such spirit and resolve. A little reckless, but nonetheless it is a bold statement to make."

Yuki smiled, nodding to one of her guards, who walked over with folded clothes in hand and handed it over to the noisy guy.

"We welcome you then, to our cause. Anyone else?"

Yuki turned to the rest of the group. At first nobody moved. Some of them were still unsure. The young man sighed, wondering why he wasn't moving as well. He stepped forward as well.

"I will join as well."

He said, and was handed a uniform as well. Out of pure curiosity, the young man unfolded his uniform and discovered that it fitted him quite well. Was the reason they were keeping the new comers in lock-up mainly to gain their sizes? No, it could not be just that. It was like Yuki said, it was for security. But security against what?

"Ah! It's you!"

Len shouted, but was immediately silenced when everyone else in the room glared at her.

"... Len, just stay quiet."

Kou muttered, which led to Len to lower her head in embarrassment.

"Yes, commander."

"... Right, anyone else?"

Yuki turned the mood back to the newcomers. Some were hesitant, but slowly one by one they stepped forward. Only two wanted no part of it.

"Alright, since you have made your choice, we will allow you to leave. You can either pass on, or try to stay alive as long as you can in this World without our aid. If you choose the latter, remember that we offered you aid once, it will not come to you once more."

Yuki warned the two who chose to leave. Both were girls, so the young man guessed they were too afraid of this World of violence. Yuki nodded to the guards by the door, and they escorted those two girls out of the room and closed the door behind them. Yuki then stood up from her chair, walking around to the front of the desk and leaned back against the wood.

"So we have eighteen here. Now, we can begin. We are the SSS2, young teenagers who strive to survive in this mad World of the afterlife."

At that moment, the lights in the room turned off as a projector hanging from the ceiling turned on, showing the emblem of the SSS2.

"We fight against those who wish to destroy us. They are the Shadows."

The projector showed a picture of a giant creature made up of some sort of smoke. Just the mere image sent shivers down the spines of all in the room.

"They have no feelings, cannot be reasoned with, and are the main cause of chaos in this World. They have the ability to catch and 'convert' us into one of them, or as an NPC."

The next picture depicted a horrific scene of a student being engulfed by the smoke. Some of the girls in the group screamed a little.

"They can be taken down, but only if you are brave enough to face them. Next are the NPCs. This World works like a computer program, things go according to rules though some things are changing these days. And since this World is built as a school, there are the students and the teachers."

The next picture showed a typical scene of a school. This school. Everything looked normal, but something seemed off about the scene.

"... Excuse me for saying this, but that picture looks rather... artificial."

One of the newcomers, a girl, spoke up. Yuki looked surprised at first by this statement, but smirked.

"You are smart. What is your name?"

"... Yue. Narusaki Yue."

The girl said, showing a little fear of Yuki.

"I see... Yue. You are right. This picture is artificial, but not the picture itself. This is a picture from the school we are in. The students and the teachers are not human. They are like computer programs set to go about their daily lives in the same way as any other human would. But they are different. Remember that."

Yuki said that with some bitterness in her voice. Something must have happened in the past.

"You said that the Shadows will convert us into NPCs."

The noisy guy spoke up.

"Yes. Shadows are created from the NPCs, but unlike the normal NPCs, the Shadows are hostile to us. The Shadows are twisted forms of the NPCs and even if we kill the Shadow, they will just revert back to an NPC. We do not kill NPCs, mainly because we do not need this World to be more messed up than it already is. Shadows are an irregularity, as are we. We do not need to harm the system itself. And if you're wondering... yes, there are members of the SSS2 who have been converted into NPCs. This is another reason why we do not kill the NPCs indiscriminately. I'm sure you do not want to shoot your friends and comrades."

Yuki smiled sadly at them as she said that. Silence filled the room as the tension became a little too tight for the young man to endure.

"... Moving on. We, the SSS2, are a club on the surface, but we work to combat the Shadows on a near daily basis. As all of you are newcomers, you will go through the basic training regime set by me to get you adjusted to this World and to fighting. Before we go into any further detail, let me introduce the important people of our organization. Our organization is broken into six divisions, each important to our survival."

The lights turned back on as the projector turned off.

"This is Ein Shrewerz."

Yuki gestured to the large man, who raised two fingers like a salute to the newcomers.

"He is in charge of the assault division. Ein, if you would."

"Alright."

Ein got up from his seat, surprising the newcomers with his height. The young man could swear he heard Kou mutter 'mc bear' under her breath.

"I am Ein, as Yuki said, I am in-charge of the assault division. The assault division is the SSS2's main battle group. We have different squads, each with their own traits and specialities. Fujibayashi Kyou, here, is my right hand assistant as well as being the leader of the main battle squad."

The purple haired woman next to Ein gave a curt nod to the newcomers.

"Joining the assault division means you are at the front of every battle. The training is tough, the risks are high but in return you get to fight the Shadows head-on. Most of the assault members are people who want revenge against the Shadows."

Yuki explained, gesturing Ein to sit down.

"Next we have the diversion division. Led by Kinoji Awase and Tokiyori Jinnai, they are the ones who keep our SSS2 activities hidden from view."

Yuki pointed to the two sitting on the sofa. The girl smiled sleepily whereas the guy simply shifted his glasses.

"The diversion division are the ones closest to danger as they have to operate within the school activities, but the result from their actions can save the lives of everyone else in the organization. Next, is Guild."

"I'll take over from here, Yuki-chii."

The girl in overalls said, getting up to her feet.

"I'm Himura Yuuko. Call me 'Boss'. Guild is in charge of making weapons and supplies for the entire organization. We are the life-line of every operation and the reason why this organization isn't dead yet. Gya ha ha ha ha!"

Yuuko, the self-proclaimed 'boss', laughed.

"While what Yuuko said can be quite ridiculous, it isn't far from the truth. Guild is the most important part of the organization. Without them, we wouldn't have any weapons to fight. Moving on, we have the intelligence division..."

Yuki seemed to have an air of distrust when she turned to the slim man who stood behind in a corner.

"... He's not important."

Yuki said, making some in the room sigh in disbelief. The man standing behind did not say anything, as though expecting it from Yuki. The girl by his side, however, seemed to be rather annoyed by that fact and wanted to speak up but was stopped by the man himself.

"The intelligence division is the one that collects all information. They give us all possible information to predicting the movements of our enemies."

"... At least she introduced our jobs."

That disgruntled girl muttered. It was obvious that the rivalry between Yuki and the intelligence division ran as high as their egos. Somehow the young man was beginning to think that joining this group was the wrong choice.

"Moving along... My name is Taeno Yuki. I am in charge of Fort, this building which you are currently in. It may not seem like much, but this building is our main head quarters. No Shadow can spawn in here and it cannot be taken down. This is where our predecessors, the SSS first made their stand and it is where we make ours."

The way she introduced herself made the young man think that she was the actually one pulling the strings of the entire organization. That, and the fact that she sat behind the desk where only important people sit at also pushed the idea that she was someone very vital to this group.

"This building is where we started our lives and it is where you will start yours. Welcome to the SSS2. Hope you have no regrets now."

* * *

The newcomers were ushered out of the room and led down to the lower levels of the building. There, they were introduced to rooms, proper rooms this time. Each room had ten beds and a cabinet to accompany each bed. It was a simple place to stay and in fact, it looked somewhat like a military camp. Here, the men and women were split into two rooms and were told that their training would start the next day. The young threw his new clothes onto a bed before sitting down on the stiff mattress himself. The day seemed to be so long with so many things going on in his head. He looked at the others in the room, noting the rather stiff silence that made the entire room tense. A little too tense for his liking.

"So, what do you think of this entire thing?"

The noisy guy asked, throwing his stuff onto the bed next to his. Why can't this guy just leave him alone?

"... I don't know. It's all... just too much too fast."

He replied honestly, figuring it would not help anyone to lie at this point. The noisy guy smirked, holding up his blazer to inspect it closer.

"And yet you joined right after me. Whatever it may be, you believed that sticking with this group has the best advantage."

The noisy guy said. The young man thought about that for the moment, before shrugging.

"Maybe. They have the guns, after all."

"And that, they do... Hey, notice how this '2' is rather roughly drawn on like a marker?"

The noisy guy noted the emblem.

"Yeah... I noticed that."

The young man replied, remembering seeing it from before when he first arrived. There was just something about that marking that really made him think about the sanity of this group. That and a few characters.

"By the way, i'm Ooguchi Daisuke. Good to meet you."

The young man looked with an eyebrow raised at the guy's name. Ooguchi Daisuke? Literally 'big mouthed big help'? What sort of name is that? But then again, it did suit him quite well.

"... Like-wise... I'm..."

The young man paused. Thinking back, he could not quite remember his own name. What was his name? Thinking back, he could pull nothing from that deep abyss of darkness that seemed to fill his mind. Daisuke looked rather puzzled at his reaction. It was not like he did it on purpose. He really had no idea what his name was. Wait. There was something. A single name came up. He did not know if it belonged to him or if he simply heard it from somewhere.

"... My name is... Katsuragi, i guess."

"You guess?"

Daisuke wondered.

"... Yeah, i guess. I can't remember my own name too well, so i guess the first thing that came to mind would be it."

"Hmm~, i see. So you're one of those who came with amnesia."

Daisuke nodded in an understanding manner. There were three other guys in the room who were also in the same sort of situation. Katsuragi guessed that he would get to know them in time.

"Hmm... there is something else that bothered me."

Daisuke began, folding his uniform and putting it into the cabinet by his bed.

"That leader, Yuki. She said there were six divisions yet she only introduced five. What is the last division? Is it that cool chick at the corner back in that room?"

"... Kou."

"What?"

Katsuragi did not really want to say this, but he guessed sharing this information was useful.

"Her name is Kou. Kurogane Kou. She's the leader of this special operations division called 'Guardians'. I don't know anymore than that."

Daisuke seemed rather amused by that fact, having a stupid smile on his face while nodding in an 'all-knowing' manner. Now Katsuragi was really beginning to doubt getting involved with this guy.

"So, she must be really secretive if she wasn't introduced. Maybe since they are 'special operations', they deal with a very different kind of enemy?"

"I don't know."

Katsuragi replied, flipping over on his bed. To be honest, he did not care for what Kou does. What he does care for, is why is it that he feels such pain and sorrow when he looks at her? There was just no way he could ignore that.

* * *

"So... what do you guys think?"

Yuki asked, crossing her legs on the wooden desk.

"They show some promise."

Ein replied, taking a sip from his 'key' coffee.

"Especially that guy with spunk. I think he will do well in my division."

"Woah, not so fast big guy. If anyone needs a spunky recruit, it's me."

Yuuko slapped her chest proudly as she said that.

"You'll most likely blow him up, that's what."

Fujibayashi Kyou muttered under her breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

Everyone in the room was talking about the new comers, not even noticing that the reaper of the organization and her second were leaving. No one but Yuki.

"Going so soon, Kou?"

Yuki asked, causing the room to be silent once more. Kou stopped at the door, turned her head to Yuki with that same dead expression as she held as always. Those dead eyes were cold and blank, not showing a hint of any emotion or life in them. Those eyes were the same ones that made everyone distance themselves from her.

"... There is nothing for me to discuss."

With that, Kou opened the door and walked out of the room. Len followed closely behind and closed the door after her. Once Kou left, the tension in the room lifted and everyone heaved a sigh of relief.

"Man, that was tough. Having to be in the same room as the reaper for so long can be detrimental to my health."

Ein sighed, leaning back in the sofa.

"Kuro-chii still hasn't changed at all."

Yuuko muttered, rather sad that her old friend had become such a cold individual.

"It has already been five years since that day... Five years and her scars had yet to heal."

Kyou added.

"Maybe she doesn't want them to heal. To heal is to forget, and eventually it would lead her to disappear."

Testarossa Iris offered an explanation.

"... In any case, it is better this way. For the type of enemy she fights, she would need to be colder and sharper than any blade we can make."

Yuki said, bringing her legs down from the table.

"For all of our sakes, she needs to be the best killer there is. I just hope it does not destroy her in the process."

* * *

A/N: Kou is strong, and her strength is further fueled by her hatred and revenge. She can be considered 'last boss' level, but her detachment from others and short temper make her a wild card for the SSS2 to use. I've added quite a bit of things to the SSS2, so I will be drawing up a new organization chart (with added new characters) by the next chapter. Sit tight!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Sorry for the delay guys, been an awful week thus far for me. Mainly, it is Chinese New Year. Having to help out with the house and stuff is extremely tiring, especially when we are still trying to renovate the place whilst clearing junk. Also, I've started to hit the gym! After 7 years of not going, I am seriously out of shape. Like, seriously and literally.

Anyway, besides that, I had been brainstorming one ideas to add things into the story to make it longer and funnier. I managed to get a few ideas, though if you guys can contribute some hilarious situations for the SSS2 to be in, I'll take them into consideration.

Kou plays an important role to my series, mainly because she is my main character. Katsuragi being her brother? Not quite. Katsuragi is his last name, by the way. I won't spoil it for you guys, but seriously... no one has a clue? Maybe my clues are too obscure...

A few questions you guys asked are answered in this chapter, and yes, I aimed to get Katsuragi to be like Otonashi, but he isn't that smart. I looked back at all of the Key works (at least most of them) and noticed that every work (besides AIR) had a dumb side character to compliment the main character's straight-man act. That is where Ooguchi Daisuke comes in. There will be more, unfortunately, so be prepared.

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 3_

_Initial Arms_

The morning came sooner than he expected as he was shaken awake by a familiar face. Ooguchi Daisuke looked down with his cheeky smile.

"Morning sleeping beauty."

He smirked. As for the recipient of this bright smile, he wasn't feeling all too welcoming to something like that early in the morning, resulting in him delivering a straight punch to that particularly useless face.

"Ow! What was that for?"

Daisuke shouted, retreating back while nursing his bruised nose.

"You're too noisy in the morning."

Was the reply. Katsuragi sat up, feeling his head slightly disoriented. Maybe it was because of a certain person who kept everyone awake by his constant whining. That very person was currently tied up with rope and shoved into his own cabinet. It did not, however, stop his rather muffled cries from keeping some people awake. While Katsuragi did manage to sleep in the end, it became apparent that a lot of the others were not as fortunate. The door to the room opened and a large man walked in, rather confused about something.

"Would you newcomers care to explain what a large cabinet is doing dangling outside your window by a rope?"

No one answered that question, most still in the middle of putting on their new uniform. The large guy looked around for an answer, then sighed.

"Alright, all of you get ready. I'll lead you to your first training session."

He said, before walking over to where the rope that held the cabinet was tied to the bed by the window. He took out a large knife and with one swing, cut the rope. A loud scream was heard trailing down with the cabinet as it fell to the ground below. The large man raised an eyebrow at that sound, then shrugged.

"Oh well. He'll follow suit. Alright, all of you, get dressed and follow me."

With that, he left the room. Katsuragi got up, scratching his head to shake off his sleepiness. That did not really help, but he was awake enough to get up and get dressed. The shirt was larger than his own size, but he guessed it was still alright. It wasn't overly large to the point where the entire shirt was literally just clinging onto his shoulders. He looked around and wondered if he should wear the tie as well. He looked around, noticing that some were choosing not to wear their ties.

Well, he was given it so he might as well use it. For some odd reason, he felt rather natural at putting on the tie and the blazer. Somehow it all just felt... right. Once dressed, he followed the others out of the room where the large guy from before was waiting. What he noticed was that the girls were up and dressed as well, waiting in the same hallway as the guys.

"Ahem... Alright, since you're all dressed. Follow me."

The large man led the group down the hallway and down the main stairwell to the first floor. Katsuragi now noticed that the students hanging around the building were paying them much less attention. It must be their uniforms, now that they were all dressed in the same uniform, the members of the SSS2 can feel more relaxed and not constantly be on guard. But why should they? Sure, they may be dressed in clothes similar to NPCs, but why should the SSS2 members be afraid of them?

NPCs don't hurt people unless a Shadow converts them, right? Katsuragi could not help but feel as though there was something that the SSS2 were not telling them. Something sinister about the NPCs. The group was finally led into a room where tables and chairs were all laid out like a proper classroom. Except this wasn't suppose to be a classroom as the sign outside the room clearly said 'Storage room 5'.

"Everyone take a seat."

The man said, walking over to the front of the room as everyone did as they were told. Katsuragi took a seat around the middle and Daisuke took the seat next to him. It seems that Daisuke is rather attached to him... hopefully not in an odd way. The large man who stood up front behind a desk scratched his head as he looked down at the pieces of paper on the table in front of him. Apparently something was off with the papers.

"... That damn Imagawa... Can't even get paper work done right. Sigh, guess this will have to do."

The large man looked up to the group of newcomers with his somewhat exhausted look. No, not at them exactly. Katsuragi turned around and noticed that Yuki herself had stepped into the classroom. Maybe to observe, but she clearly wasn't going to do any talking. Yuki gave a knowing nod to the large man and he continued on.

"Let's begin. I'm Tanaka, the one incharge of all you newcomers. I will oversee your training from now until then end of the month, after which you will each be assigned to a different division according to your strengths. Throughout your training, you will be introduced further into what each division does, as well as getting a feel for the activities yourself. Based on how you perform, the leaders will decide which division you are best suited for. Any questions so far?"

Tanaka looked around the room, and saw that no one had their hands raised. Until one person did. A girl near the front raised her hand. With long brown hair, the girl seemed to exude a rather familiar air. She was rather emotionless and cold, almost like Kou. But unlike Kou, this girl still had some self within her. It was hard to describe it really, but if Katsuragi had to put in a word, it would be that this girl had 'substance', while Kou did not.

"What question do you have... er..."

"Kusanagi... Kusanagi Yamato."

The girl replied. Yamato, that was a weird name for a girl.

"Okay, Kusanagi-san. What is your question?"

"You said that the divisions will be chosen for us. We have no choice in the matter?"

Tanaka scratched his head at that question, showing slight discomfort at answering that.

"Unfortunately, no. Way before the SSS2 was officially formed, the students basically waged a guerilla war against the Shadows that hunted us. We were finally able to fight back when we discovered the large stockpile of weapons left behind by our predecessors but we also found out that not everyone was suited for each weapon. Every person has their own style and own strengths. In the same manner, not everyone can be suited for certain jobs in the organization."

That seemed logical, though Yamato did not seem to have any lack of questions.

"Another question."

Tanaka sighed the moment Yamato said that. He clearly did not like his job.

"What?"

"I could not help but notice. Last night, Taeno-san told us of six divisions, yet only introduced five. What is the last division?"

Yamato asked, but Tanaka was kept silent by that. He looked to the back where Yuki was, but she had disappeared from the room. Tanaka sighed again, scratching the back of his head.

"The last division is not a division you can get into straight away. The last division is known as the 'Guardians'. They serve as the elite forces of our organization and are chosen from the other divisions, a group that you do not need to concern yourselves with at the moment... But, i guess you all should know about them. They deal with the most difficult operations, traitors... and the 'angels'."

* * *

"What you were told at the beginning is true, that our main enemy is the strange distortion known as the 'Shadows'. However what was not told to you was that there is another enemy that we face. This enemy has been dubbed as the 'angels'. They are the NPCs themselves."

Tanaka explained, taking a moment to let it seep into those in the room. A whole moment of stunned silence was the reply.

"... I know that it is rather difficult to grasp, and truthfully, not everyone in the organization can fight against them. It is one thing to fight against the Shadows as we can simply think of them as 'monsters'. But NPCs are like human. They look like us, talk like us, act like us. In addition, there are those who have been converted into NPCs themselves. Can any of you in this room turn and shoot the person next to you? I wouldn't think so."

Tanaka stopped for another moment, but this time, it seems he realized something. He was scaring everyone in the room. He scratched his head again, trying to re-organize his thoughts.

"... Well, you guys need not worry about it. The Guardians are the ones who are suppose to deal with the 'Angels', not to mention that the number of Angels are also numbered at a twenty. No more, no less. They also have a thing for 'announcing' their arrival, so you will know when they appear, if they ever do. Now, onto the lessons."

Tanaka then turned the conversation around by explaining each division and the history of the SSS2, as well as the predecessor of the SSS. He explained about the structure of the organization in further details, as well as delving into the history of the SSS. Katsuragi wasn't listening in to that, however, as his thoughts dwelled more on the mysterious division of the Guardians. What was their true purpose? Who were they really? And more importantly, what was it about Kurogane Kou that bothered him so much?

He just could not get her image, sitting majestically there in the room, out of his mind. Maybe it was because she was the first person he met, or maybe it was because she was the one who saved him? Either way, he could not help but feel entranced by her looks, by her grace, by her very presence. She had such an empty, cold and entrancing existence that he just wanted to... It was hard to explain. It was not love, nor interest. Just... attraction.

"So that concludes the founding of this organization. Next, I will cover the basic rules."

Tanaka said, breaking Katsuragi's train of thought. He turned to the black board in the room and took a chalk to start writing. On it, he wrote three simple lines. Once done, he placed the chalk down and dusted his hands before turning back to the group.

"These are the basics rules of our organization. One: Don't kill any NPCs who aren't the enemy. We do not need to screw up the system any more than what it is now. Two: Do not betray the organization no matter what and follow the orders given unless you have a really good reason not to. Third: Survive."

Everyone stared at Tanaka when he said that last rule. Survive? What does that mean?

"... Obviously most of you don't understand the meaning of this third rule. It may be easy to understand it when you look at it now, but in reality, it is much harder. There are those who crack under pressure, they go mad and start doing stupid things. Look around you. These people are the ones will be the ones covering your back. You all will face hardships together, face impossible odds. But as long as you do your job and survive, the guy next to you will too. You will help each other in order to live and survive. Once you give up, you're dead, gone. Once you're gone... you no longer exist. There is no reset, no revival, no retries. Once you are gone, there is nothing. No thoughts, no feelings, nothing. All of you have been given a second chance by being here. Use it wisely."

At that moment, the door of the room swung open and a young man stepped in. His matted hair covered most of his facial features and his right eye. His scrawny physique did not say much and coupled with his work overalls, it made some within the group wonder about who he was. That was clearly the guild's uniform, but his size and body shape did not match the image of the physically demanding job of Guild.

"Ah, Gen, you're here early."

Tanaka said to the newcomer, who did not seem to even notice Tanaka as he scanned the room.

"... So these are the new recruits... Tanaka, the boss is getting rather edgy. I suggest you send them my way now."

Gen replied. Tanaka nodded and gathered his papers together.

"Alright. All of you, you're now going to get equipped so we'll be heading down to Guild. Come on, best not to keep Yuuko waiting or else all hell will break loose from under our feet. Literally."

* * *

The group was led out of the room once more, but this time by the Guild member called Gen. Katsuragi wasn't paying too much attention during the lecture, so he had to wonder why was Gen leading the way and looking more important than Tanaka.

"That's because Gen's the leader of the fitters. Weren't you listening?"

Daisuke replied when he asked about it. Katsuragi really did not want to hear those words from his smiling friend. Out of the two, Daisuke was the one who looked like the type to not pay any attention.

"That's rude. I'm quite the diligent student. Or at least, 'was'. Want to hear my story?"

"No."

"... You don't have to give an immediate answer. You could have hesitated, or at least looked to be thinking about it."

Katsuragi wasn't really interested in hearing about Daisuke. But it was true that he needed to pay more attention. Now he would never hear the end of it from Daisuke. Not exactly what he needed for an eternity. The group was led towards the back of the main stairwell, where a hidden door was built in. Gen pushed the door open, revealing a hole in the ground with a ladder leading down. Without even hesitating, the Guild member climbed down the hole, letting the group follow suit. The climb down the hole was not exactly long, but given how each of the newcomers had yet to go down to Guild before, it felt close to five minutes of climbing.

Obviously the girls went down first, as Daisuke was so painfully reminded when he volunteered to go first. Katsuragi climbed down, dusting his hands the moment he reached the bottom and off the ladder. The group was now in some sort of long tunnel, much like a mine or a train tunnel. Numerous students of the SSS2 wandered about down in these tunnels, carrying crates and weapons. Some carried documents and others were simply talking with each other.

"These are the tunnels of Guild. Each tunnel is as important as the next, and they are all vital to Guild."

Gen explained to them while leading them down the tunnel.

"These tunnels serve as transport routes throughout the school, allowing us to insert our troops deep into enemy territory and out without much incident, but the vice versa also occurs from time to time. These tunnels also house the majority of our forces. The Assault Division stays in the dorms on campus and also does camping out in the mountains from time to time. The elite members of Fort, the 'Wolves', sleep in the staff building. The Intelligence division prefers to sleep in their library hide-out. So most of the time you get Guild and Diversion members staying down here with the rest of Fort, and as all of you should know by now, Guild and Diversion divisions make up the majority of our forces."

Gen continued as they travelled further through the tunnels. Katsuragi could not help but notice that the members who were working down here seemed to be slightly happier and relaxed. They weren't as tense as the members above ground. Maybe it was the exposure to the enemy they had? The members above ground face the enemy on a daily basis. That had to be stressful. Soon, Gen led the group into a rather large room that looked quite much like a bakery with large furnaces around the place. The only difference is that these were not breads that were being baked.

Guild members shovelled dirt from a pile into the furnaces, feeding the flames, and from the other end the hot liquid from the melted dirt would be poured out into moulds. What Katsuragi noticed was that each mould was handled by a single Guild member. Pressing the moulds hard, Katsuragi noticed that a rather strange occurrence was present. By pressing it only for a few moments, the mould is opened and a weapon is produced. Was this magic?

"Weapons are created by memories. In this World, as long as we retain the memories of the object, we can replicate it by making it out of dirt. This is probably one of the good things about this World."

Gen explained, before walking over to one side of the large room where a work bench was. It was Gen's work bench, apparently, seeing as how he seemed to know exactly where to find his items.

"The Boss is currently attempting to fix her tanks again, though i would not be so hopeful."

Gen explained to Tanaka, who simply nodded before a loud explosion from the large iron doors at the end of the room shook the entire place. The group of newcomers were rather surprised and worried as smoke seeped out from the gaps in the door, but the Guild members ignored it completely.

"Anyway, the fitters are in the store room. We'll get five to enter each time. That would give us... four rounds."

Gen counted the number of people. Eighteen of them in total. Ten guys, eight girls. Katsuragi still did not see any sign of the loud-mouthed girl who got shot by Imagawa. Maybe they don't revive after all, but the others don't seem bothered by it. Maybe he was thinking too much into it.

"You won't be fitting them?"

Tanaka asked, looking over a chart that Gen handed to him.

"I only fit one person."

Gen simply replied, getting onto his chair at his work bench.

"... I see. Anyway, i'll start the thing then."

Tanaka turned back to the group of newcomers and dragged his finger down the chart.

"When i point at you, step forward, say your name and stand over here."

Tanaka pointed to the spot next to him.

"... You."

He pointed to a girl with long raven hair and emerald green eyes. She seemed slightly nervous as she stepped forward.

"Wa-Wakase Izumi."

She answered. Tanaka took a pen from his pocket and wrote that down on his chart, before pointing to the spot next to him. Izumi timidly walked over to that spot and started to fidget with her skirt with her eyes darting anywhere else but at the group. She apparently doesn't do well before a crowd.

".. You."

Tanaka pointed to a boy, who stepped forward with some confidence. His hair was a short cut, almost like a military style cut though his face and build would say otherwise.

"Motoyama Rei."

He announced his name before joining Izumi over at the spot. Tanaka looked amongst the crowd and pointed to the girl from before, Kusanagi Yamato.

"Yamato, over here. Don't need to say your name since you said so before. Not to mention loud enough for my ear drums to need revival."

Yamato nodded and walked over to the spot. Tanaka scanned the crowd once more and pointed to another guy.

"You, name and over here."

"Ishida."

The young man said, stepping forward.

"Okay."

Apparently Tanaka did not bother to ask for the given name. Perhaps losing your memories was more common than Katsuragi first thought.

"... You."

Tanaka pointed to Daisuke, who proudly stepped forward like he was some king. Some idiot king more like it.

"Ooguchi Daisuke, reporting!"

"Right, right. Shut up and stand here."

Tanaka easily ignored Daisuke's overly glowing self and tucked the chart under one arm.

"Right, you five will enter first. The rest of you will wait here."

Tanaka told them before going through the door nearby. The five chosen students followed closely behind.

"See you in a bit!"

Daisuke said with a smile before he stepped in. The door closed behind them, letting the rest only to think of what could be happening beyond those doors. It seemed that Gen noticed the other members in the group's concern, as he stood up and gave a slight cough to get their attention.

"A fitter's job is to size each person up and give them a weapon in accordance to their suited body type. I'm sure you all have heard that not everyone is suited to be a certain job, and the same applies to the weapons. For example, you cannot give a small person a large weapon, and a large person a small weapon. A fitter's job is not only to size up, but also the match the weapon to the user's specialities."

Gen explained, fiddling with a pistol he had on his desk. His precision like moves ejected the magazine before pulling the slide back and catching the bullet that flew out. Without even stopping, he dismantled the pistol so quickly that everyone in the group was amazed by the speed it took for him to do it.

"Each weapon is like a person. Each are different from the next. They may be made from the same memories and the same mould, but the conditions may vary. The dirt and essence used are different. The condition of the builder during each moulding process are different, which alters the state of memories of the weapon. Of course, these conditions would not affect the usage of the weapon so much, but it can cause the user to be unfamiliar with the weapon he or she was used to. Understand?"

Most of the group simply nodded their heads in reply. Katsuragi wasn't all too sure on what all of that meant, though. He simply accepted it as it is.

"I didn't know you were teaching people, Gen."

A familiar voice made him turn. Walking over to them was the young leader of the elusive sixth division. The leader of the Guardians, Kurogane Kou herself. She still held that same expressionless face, those cold, empty eyes that seem to stare on forever into darkness.

"Kou, i didn't think your weapons needed re-tuning so soon."

Gen replied, quickly reassembling the pistol and putting it back down on his work bench.

"The last battle caused my pistol to jam. You might want to check the loading mechanism. That, and i need to see Musashi. My sword needs some re-shaping."

Kou pulled out her sword, showing that it was completely dented in one angle. That made Gen raise an eyebrow.

"What, you hit an angel with the broad side again?"

Kou said nothing to Gen's smart remark, simply placing the broken weapons on the table. She then noticed the newcomers. Everyone was staring at her with some fear in their eyes, even Katsuragi could tell. Kou was not someone who exuded the kindness of a friend, not the trust of a friend, not even the warmth of a person. Kurogane Kou was an empty existence.

"..."

Kou said nothing as always, but her eyes did fall on Katsuragi for a rather long moment.

"Kou, the pistol doesn't have a problem. You just failed to load the magazine properly."

Gen said, making Kou turn back to him.

"Just fix it."

Kou answered sharply. There was some form of warmth in her tone, however, and Katsuragi was probably one of the few to notice it, if ever.

"... So, those are the new kids?"

Kou asked Gen, not even looking at the group even though she was referring to them.

"Yeah, why don't you introduce yourself? I'm sure you were left out of the introduction, as always."

"..."

Kou ignored that comment, and picked up the pistol that Gen was fiddling with earlier. Loading the cartridge, the leader of the Guardian division trained the sights of the pistol towards the other end of the room.

"Please don't fire any rounds down here. I've gotten enough rage ranting from the boss for last week's angel attack."

Gen muttered.

"I cannot control where the angels attack, Gen. All i can do is to counter them."

"Tell that to the boss."

Kou ignored that reply again. Her eyes seemingly distracted as she looked off to one side. She pulled the slide of the pistol, chambering one round.

"... They're here."

She muttered. Before anyone could ask what was here, a loud explosion erupted from the tunnel that ran outside the Guild room. Loud gunshots echoed from outside, as well as screaming and shouting from students. It was complete chaos and Katsuragi could not determine what was going on.

"An enemy attack? Now? It's been only one week since the last attack!"

The entire Guild immediately turned into a frenzy, everyone getting up on their feet and grabbing the nearest weapon to head out. Kou calmly walked towards the exit as well, but Gen noticed something.

"Kou! Your sword!"

"I have another."

She replied, drawing a second sword behind her back. Unlike the other blade, this one looked almost brand new. In fact, it looked as though it had never been drawn before.

"But that's-... I guess she doesn't really care."

Gen muttered, just as the other door opened and the first five students stepped out with weapons their hands. Each were given a pistol of a different make, but nothing else.

"For now, you five will follow me into the combat zone. Consider yourselves lucky that you get the fight an angel on your first day."

Tanaka said, grabbing a rifle from a pile on the side and catching two magazines that were tossed to him by Gen.

"I'll leave the rest to you."

Tanaka said, leading the first five students out of the room. It was complete chaos and destruction out there, making the rest of the group worried. Wakase Izumi and Motoyama Rei from the first group were the only ones to look uncertain, but they followed Tanaka and the other three out of the door.

"The rest of you will stay here and wait for all of this to die down."

Gen said, pulling out a rifle and slamming a cartridge in it.

"Why can't we join in the fight?"

The girl Katsuragi remembered as Narusaki Yue asked.

"... That fitting room only has one way in and out. In the worst case scenario, the enemy will charge into this place and all of you will need to escape. Fast. To us, people who cannot die and have unlimited resources, the thing we want is to live. And to continue living we must make sure our comrades survive at all cost. That is my job, that is your job, and that is our job as an organization."

Katsuragi did not really hear those words, but he sure felt them. This was the SSS2. This was the bond that chained them all together. This was the vow that they made and it would be the thing that will keep driving them forward.

* * *

A/N: I'll try to write up the next chapter soon, but don't be too hopeful! CNY is a killer, even though the red packets are always helpful.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Sorry about forgetting to put in the organization chart i promised (extra thanks to Jhon 117 for reminding me).

As for Katsuragi, at this moment he is like level 1 in a game while Kou is at level 80. He won't be saving her any time soon. In the first part, it was intentional to have Guild be the same chapter as the anime. As for this, the flow isn't the same nor would it be anything you guys expect. At least some of you, i hope.

I am still taking up ideas, but as i said in the last chapter of the first story, if you submitted your character ideas now, the chances of your character appearing would be low. Still, if there is a chance, I might put them in. But please, no stereotypical 'cool & awesome' male character. Be more original... like TK, or Matsushida 5-dan. Now those two are awesome characters to write about.

* * *

Organization chart (as promised)

Shinda Sekai Sensen 2 (SSS2)

**Division 1**  
_Fort_  
-Commander: Taeno Yuki (rank: General)  
-Vice Commander: Unknown

Squads:  
-Yuki's Elite  
(call sign: Wolves)  
leader: Unknown

-Base  
(call sign: Camelot)  
leader: Imagawa Jin (rank: Sergeant)

-Strategy  
(call sign: Throne)  
leader: Unknown (ex-leader Minami Shino transferred to division 6)

-Relief  
(call sign: Little Busters)  
leader: Natsume Kyousuke (rank: Captain) & Riki (rank: Warrant Officer)

-Medics  
(call sign: Wingless)  
leader: Tsukimiya Ayu (rank: Second Lieutenant)

-Recruits  
(call sign: Lost Souls)  
leader: Tanaka Goutarou (rank: First Lieutenant)

**Division 2  
**_Assault  
_-Commander: Ein Shrewerz (rank: Colonel)  
-Vice Commander: Fujibayashi Kyou (rank: Major)

Squads:  
-Frontlines  
(call sign: War Boars)  
leader: Fujibayashi Kyou (rank: Major)

-Commandos  
(call sign: Black Hounds)  
leader: Unknown

-Snipers  
(call sign: Eagle Watch)  
leader: Ryusei Suou (rank: Captain)

-Heavy  
(call sign: Iron Storm)  
leader: Yamamoto Takanari (rank: First Lieutenant)

-Artillery  
(call sign: Thunder)  
leader: unknown

-Shock troops  
(call sign: Edge)  
leader: unknown

**Division 3**  
_Guild  
_-Commander: Himura Yuuko (rank: Colonel)  
-Vice Commander: Goudatera Takako (rank: Captain)

Squads:  
-Fitters  
(call sign: Cloak)  
leader: Shotoku Gen (rank: Captain)

-Runners  
(call sign: Overcharge)  
leader: Senjougahara Shinobu (rank: First lieutenant)

-Experimenters  
(call sign: Metal Heads)  
leader: Masamune Shoka (rank: Warrant Officer)

-Builders  
(call sign: Anvil)  
leader: Goudatera Takako (rank: Captain)

-Provisions  
(call sign: Raiders)  
leader: Unknown

-Guards  
(call sign: Shield)  
leader: Unknown

**Division 4**  
_Diversion  
_-Commander: Kinoji Awase (rank: Colonel) & Jinnai (rank: Colonel)  
-Vice commander: None

Squads:  
-Class  
(call sign: Blindfold)  
leader: Unknown

-Clubs  
(call sign: Horseshoe)  
leader: Sasaki Tomoe (rank: warrant officer)

-Feint  
(call sign: Rabbit)  
leader: Unknown

-Attraction  
(call sign: Chaos)  
leader: Unknown

-Band (recently put together when Awase suggested doing something similar to Girl's Dead Monster)  
(call sign: THE END)  
leader: Unknown

**Division 5  
**_Intelligence  
_-Commander: Tatsume Kenji (rank: Colonel)  
-Vice Commander: Testarossa Iris (rank: Major)

Squads:  
-Searchers  
(call sign: Seekers)  
leader: Unknown

-Analyzers  
(call sign: Cross-fire)  
leader: Tenryu Shuusuke (rank: First lieutenant)

-Communications  
(call sign: Flares)  
leader: Kamio Misuzu (rank: Warrant officer)

-Archives  
(call sign: Recorders of Truths)  
leader: Unknown

-Soldiers  
(call sign: Sentinels) Loyalists of Yuki calls them "Over-glorified guards")  
leader: Testarossa Iris (rank: Major)

**Division 6  
**_Guardians  
_-Commander: Kurogane Kou (rank: Captain)  
-Vice commander: Amatsu Len (rank: First Lieutenant)

Squads (unlike other divisions, the squads in Division 6 all have the same duty. Division into squads was to allocate members across all areas effectively):  
-Reapers  
leader: Kurogane Kou (rank: Captain)

-Nameless  
leader: Sakamoto Shiki (rank: Warrant Officer)

-Judge  
leader: Asakura Shion (rank: Sergeant)

-Knights  
leader: Takamachi Yukari (rank: Warrant Officer)

Notes: Division 6, also known as the reapers, are an elite squadron compromised of the most fearless and emotionless fighters in the SSS2. Due to their detachment from others and cold attitudes, other SSS2 members all either fear or despise them. Even the leaders of the other divisions fear their power and emotionless states, resulting in the division not having anyone higher than the rank of Captain. This is to ensure that none of the members of Division 6 have more power than most of the other leaders.

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 4_

_The price we pay_

Looking at the way things were, Katsuragi supposed that this could be considered a victory for the SSS2. That was more like the SSS2's official status on the battle. The report read that the attack occurred at ten in the morning. Two NPCs led an attack of fifty Shadows. The SSS2 countered the attack with a total force of a hundred members of Guild. Sixth Division head, Kurogane Kou was present at the scene immediately, as well as Tanaka of Fort who led five new recruits into battle.

Reinforcements from the assault division arrived ten minutes later though most of the battle was already concluded by then. The enemy was completely wiped out and the SSS2 suffered minimal losses. Minimal losses. That wasn't what Katsuragi would really call 'minimal'. They lost a total of fifteen members, five of which were completely erased by the Angels. This could not really be considered a victory, could it? Katsuragi wasn't along in his thoughts about it, though. Kou thought the same as well as could be seen by her being rather angry after the entire thing was done.

"... Fifteen. Fifteen gone."

She muttered, throwing herself down onto a chair by the side of the workshop. Dark stains of blood dyed her hands and most of her clothes red. Blood dripped from her bangs and it looked as though she just swam through a river of blood. Seeing how she fought, she might as well have done so. Even though the other members of the SSS2 were clearly thankful for her efforts, as seen by their cheers of her name, they did not go near her. In fact, they did not even face her when she cheered out the nickname of the 'reaper'. While others called it a victory, Kou simply counted the losses. Katsuragi had to admit, however, that he had never seen such elegance and such grace being paired with the level of ferocity and power that Kou wielded. It was like watching a beautiful massacre, being both horrifying and strangely alluring at the same time. Katsuragi could not help but find himself more and more interested in her.

"Hey! Did you see my great first battle?"

Daisuke proudly proclaimed, showing off his new pistol, which was really a small sig sauer. While Katsuragi and most of the other members thought it as being dumb, some girls had apparently seen some sort of good-looking idol before them as they had gathered around him with some love-struck eyes and stuff.

"I kicked those shadows butt like no other!"

His maniac laughter was starting to grate some nerves. Kou, however, did not seem to care about it any more than she did care about anything else in particular.

"Here."

Gen handed her a cloth as he sat down at his bench to take a look at her pistol. Kou took the towel and wiped some of the blood off her, though the cloth was quickly made damp when it soaked up nearly a bucket load of blood.

"I'll probably be done by evening. Come back by then."

Gen said, taking the damp cloth back from Kou and dumping it into a bucket next to his workbench. Kou did not say a word in reply, getting up from her seat and walking off without warning. Just as she was walking out, three members of the Guardians walked in. Guardians differed quite a bit from the other members of the organization, not only in their skills, but their appearance and mannerism. The first difference was the way they carried themselves. They were all quite detached from reality, having a dark and heavy air hanging around them almost all of the time. The second difference was the way they treated others. They treated each other and their leader, Kou, with respect while at the same time trying to stay away from the others in the organization.

It seems like they distrust the others, but not in a way like how some people would look down on others. No, it seems that the Guardians actually held certain fear for their fellow SSS2 members. Katsuragi guessed that if they were constantly fighting against NPCs who were very much human, the Guardians would be psychologically scarred. The last difference, and probably the most obvious difference, was that each member of the Guardians wore a black band of some sorts on their body. The black band could be a black strap, black ribbon, or in Kou's case, a black wrist band. As for the three members of the Guardians, Katsuragi recognized two of them almost immediately.

With her large cleaver and a small black strap tied around her right arm where her only rolled up sleeve was, Takamachi Yukari. Why she rolled only one sleeve was beyond Katsuragi. The second he recognized was Amatsu Len, who had a black cloth tied around her forehead. The last member had a black face cloth covering her mouth and nose, although she was already wearing a large cloak that covered her body. Her hood was pulled back, but her right eye was covered by her long bangs.

"Oh? Kou, you're here?"

Yukari asked her leader, who simply nodded.

"Ah, commander, where are you going? I shall accompany you-"

"Now now, let's just leave our dear leader alone. I'm sure she doesn't really like it when you keep staring at her while she's in the showers."

Yukari pulled back Len by the collar, choking the second in command a little.

"Go on, Kou, we'll deal with the report. Just get yourself cleaned up."

Kou nodded to Yukari's idea and walked out, much to the dismay of Len, who immediately flared up in Yukari's face.

"What was that for? !"

Len demanded.

"Calm down."

Yukari muttered, snatching a bottle of water on one of the fitter's work bench and poured its contents on Len.

"Wha- WHAT WAS THAT FOR!"

Len shouted again in a louder voice this time.

"Hmm... Looks like one bottle wasn't enough."

"That's not it!"

At this point, they loud conversation had attracted the attention of practically the entire Guild.

"Oho~, you two are sure loud as usual."

A girl said, stepping forward. Katsuragi remembered her from the introduction day. She was-

"Yuuko, good thing you're here. We need you to maintain our weapons again."

Yukari said, lifting her giant cleaver with one hand and putting it on the nearest work bench. The sound of the sword being dropped on the table was more than enough proof that the cleaver was extremely heavy, nevermind the sound of the table legs on the verge of breaking. The mysterious third girl pulled out a giant gun that looked very much like an anti-tank rifle. Yuuko, the self-proclaimed boss of Guild, sighed, shaking her head.

"I'm the boss of Guild, why do i have to do menial work?"

Yuuko muttered, grabbing a chair and leaning in to take a look at the weapons.

"You've been slacking off again? Anyway, it was you who volunteered to fix every Guardian weapon yourself."

Yukari reminded Yuuko.

"I know i did say that, since the guardians needed extremely special weapons of each member, and the maintenance and creation of each weapon is an extremely delicate job that only i can handle...But Kuro-chii still goes to Gen."

"Kou chooses that because Gen knows her weapons the best. More like she doesn't want you to mess up 'his' memories."

Yuuko looked up at Yukari, her eyes narrowing at the other girl.

"... I would never do anything to spoil the memories of him. Akira was my best guy. I treated him like my own right hand."

"We know that, Yuuko. We all do. Still, seeing how you treat your own health, i wouldn't trust you when you say you treat him like your own right hand."

Yukari smirked, making Yuuko smile.

"You got me there, Taka-chii. Well, let Kuro-chii do what she wants. Anyway, Amatsu-chii, where's your weapon?"

Yuuko turned to Len, who was busy grabbing more rifle magazines.

"M-me? My weapon's fine!"

Len stuttered, trying to hide the fact that she also traded one bag of dirt for a box of sweets.

"_Reeaaally_... The last time i asked, you also said the same thing. If you don't let me maintain your special weapon, it will break you know."

"It will break when you touch it!"

Len shouted back.

"Aha, so that's your reasoning. I'm hurt, Amatsu-chii."

Yuuko replied in a mocking voice.

"Wha- what are you talking about! I'm going to find the commander!"

Len declared, turning to go but was once again pulled back by Yukari.

"Now now, didn't i just say to leave our dear leader alone? You've been sticking to her everyday, completely ignoring us. Don't you know we need to be consoled too?"

"You guys don't need me!"

"Don't say such sad things. Just join us for this while."

Yukari smirked, pulling Len off to one side with the third Guardian following close behind.

"Hey, newcomer, you're up."

Katsuragi turned when a hand was placed on his shoulder. Tanaka was standing before him, the same chart as before still in his hand.

"Huh?"

"It's your turn to get sized up for a weapon. Come on, you're the last one."

Tanaka pointed over to the side room. Katsuragi then remembered what he came down here to do. Getting up, he walked over to where the remaining newcomers were and waited. He guessed that he wouldn't be meeting any more Guardians for today.

"Name?"

Tanaka asked.

"Katsuragi."

"... Katsuragi... I see."

Tanaka raised an eyebrow, looking at him from head to toe with such sceptism in his eyes.

"... I-is there something wrong?"

Katsuragi asked, feeling somewhat unsure and nervous by Tanaka's stares.

"... No, it's nothing."

Tanaka muttered, looking down at his chart and writing down the name.

"Right, go in. The fitters are waiting for you guys."

Katsuragi wondered what was that all about, but walked into the room either way. The room, however, was far from his expectations. To be honest, he didn't have any expectations, but he certainly wasn't thinking of this. There were stalls like that of a changing room in a clothing shop by the side of the room, each having a Guild fitter standing inside. Lined all over this small room were weapons of all kinds. Ranging from small blades, slingshots, iron balls, and even blow darts, to the large swords, hammers, and he even spotted a sword that looked very much like a sword from the Japanese mythology. Then there were the guns. From tiny pistols to the rifles and even rocket launchers and minigun. This room had everything, with enough weapons to arm a small country. This wasn't something to joke about anymore, these people meant business.

"Hey you, get over here."

A female fitter shouted, gesturing for Katsuragi to go over to her, which he did though at a rather sluggish pace as his eyes were still bewildered by the sight of the room he was in.

"Quite a sight to behold, huh?"

The girl said, pulling him into the stall and starting to size him up with a measuring tape. Though why she was doing this he had no idea.

"Hmm... surprisingly strong arm build. Which handed are you?"

"Erm... right, i think."

"Right... Let's see..."

The fitter looked around and took a M16 rifle.

"Hold this."

She said, pushing the rifle into his hand. For some reason, it felt somewhat normal as his hand immediately felt for the grip. The fitter, however, seemed to have different thoughts.

"Hmm... No, you're not holding it right. This isn't it."

She took the rifle from him and placed it back on the rack. She looked around the place, and grabbed another rifle, a FAL rifle and placed it in his hand. This was slightly better in his hands, but something was still not working for the fitter.

"... Not this either."

She took the rifle from him and looked once more around the place.

"Hmm... It can't be, can it?"

She walked out of the stall and headed to one side, grabbing a certain odd looking rifle and returning to the stall.

"Try holding this."

She said, pushing the rifle into his hand. This time, Katsuragi felt something within him. This rifle was... perfect? But could he know when he never held a rifle before? But how would he know whether he held a rifle before or not?

"... It fits, what a surprise. Maybe this is fate."

The fitter muttered, biting onto her finger nail. A bad habit, by the way.

"Fate?"

He repeated her words.

"What you are holding is the SAR-21. Only two other people in this entire organization can use it, though they are both a special case. One is Amatsu Len, the second in command of the sixth division, the Guardians."

Katsuragi immediately thought of that same scowling face of that vice commander. She certainly was scary.

"And the other?"

"The other is Kurogane Kou, the leader of the sixth division herself. Maybe you are fated to enter the sixth division too, then i can boast that i outfitted a reaper myself! Ha ha! Anyway, this is really weird."

The fitter said, rubbing her chin in thought.

"What is?"

"This rifle is quite an odd one. When i said only those two can use it, it is because they hold special abilities. The two of them are able to use almost every weapon in our arsenal. No one else is able to use this weapon, which makes it rather rare."

"... Is this gun special?"

He wondered, looking at the weapon closely.

"Special? Not really. Just that the design of the rifle is not what most people are used to, that's all... If you're thinking that you are somehow linked to special people, you're thinking too much. This rifle is more trouble than anything, since no one can use it."

"I... see."

"Well, for now, we'll give you a pistol to compliment that rifle. New comers don't use rifles until they are assigned to a unit, so you'll have to put up with this."

The fitter took the rifle from his hand and passed him a pistol. A beretta 92 to be exact. Katsuragi looked at the pistol with some odd feeling growing in his chest.

"Well, come back after you get assigned and i'll pass you your brand new rifle. Until then, make sure to stay alive, new guy."

* * *

Tanaka Goutarou was still slightly worried over something. Looking at his chart, in particular that one guy, Tanaka felt slightly uneasy.

"Yo, Tanaka-kun, what's up with the messed-up face?"

He looked up, seeing Takamachi Yukari walking over with Amatsu Len and Asakura Shion in tow.

"Messed up? That's not it. I'm just a little... confused."

He admitted, looking back down to his chart.

"Tanaka is confused? That's new."

"It's just this new guy. The one you guys brought in."

Yukari frowned her eyebrows and she rubbed her chin in thought. Tanaka sighed as he remembered that Yukari wasn't exactly famous for remembering a lot of things. She was famous for her monstrous strength though. Then she suddenly remembered, stamping her fist onto her palm.

"Oh, that guy. I completely forgot about him. So how is he?"

"He's fine... a little too fine."

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"I mean... i don't know. He is human, i can see that, but something doesn't seem right with him."

"Something not right...?"

Len seemed slightly confused with what Tanaka was saying, but then again, so were the other two. Even Tanaka himself was not too sure of what he was talking about. In short, this conversation was not making any sense.

"I sense some thing similar to the presence of an NPC within him."

"You mean he is an Angel disguising himself?"

Len demanded, quick to flare up with anger, but Yukari raised her hand to stop the vice commander. It was hard to tell who held the higher rank by this scene.

"Calm down, Len. Tanaka isn't done explaining. Tanaka? Would you mind elaborating?"

"Sure, but aren't you suppose to be helping Masamune?"

Tanaka asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Shoka is a grown girl, she doesn't need to help her with testing new weapons all the time. So what can you tell us about this new guy?"

"... What i felt was not like an Angel. Far from it. What i felt was... some static. He does have a human soul, that much i am certain, but the other parts about him are slightly off. As though his soul, mind and body are all not aligned correctly. It isn't exactly impossible, but it is extremely rare... and his body seems to be... somewhat aligned to the 'Angel Player' program."

Tanaka explained as best as he could.

"So you're saying that he has some connection to that experimental program that we're still testing out? Could it be that he came to this World during 'that' incident with the program?"

Yukari asked. Tanaka wasn't sure how to answer. In fact, he didn't even know if he was correct in the first place.

"It could mean anything, truth be told. Anyway, i'll look into it further. The new comers are my responsibility, after all."

"I see. Well, be careful about it. The Angels have been more daring recently, so we will never know where and when they will appear next."

"I know. You guys betters be careful as well."

Tanaka warned, to which Yukari merely laughed.

"Ha ha! That's rich. Tanaka, you should know better than to say that to us. We're the Guardians, the reapers of the SSS2. By the words of our leader, Kou, we will kill them all."

* * *

Looking at his pistol, Katsuragi felt slightly odd. The weapon was heavy in hand but other than that, it felt quite comfortable to hold. The grip seemed to slide around his hand just right.

"Alright, alright! All of you, gather around!"

Katsuragi looked up from his weapon and saw that a small girl with rather short hair had tried waving her hands around in the air to attract everyone's attention. She succeeded, to some extent. Tanaka was standing by her side, simply observing this time.

"Can all of you hear me?"

The girl asked, her voice being raised just enough for everyone to hear.

"My name is..."

The girl trailed off, looking as though she did not want to continue. Everyone was silent, patient and eagerly waiting for her to continue. In fact, the entire Guild room seemed to be silent at this point. Was this some sort of grand ceremony? Or maybe there was something about her name that everyone wanted to hear? Apparently, it became clear that the girl herself noticed that she was attracting too much attention.

"ALL OF YOU GET LOST! DON'T TRY TO LISTEN IN WHEN I'M TALKING!"

She barked at the other Guild members who immediately jumped back to work.

"Her name is Goudatera Takako."

Tanaka spoke up, seeing as how the girl could not say her own name.

"My name isn't Goudatera!"

She shouted at Tanaka, who simply plugged his ear with his finger.

"Fine fine, just get on with it, alright? I still don't understand why you were made the leader of the Builders."

"Hey, it isn't like i wanted this position, alright? No one can replace Akira, not even me."

"Just do your job."

Tanaka sighed, not really wanting to continue this argument.

"... Fine. Anyway, all of you new comers, listen up. I'm here to teach you the basics of weapons maintainence. The reason why i'm the one teaching you is because i've been placed in charged of the builders, the people making the weapons. That and because Ein doesn't bother to teach these things. Anyway, the rules are really simple. You can choose to clean the weapon yourself, or bring it back for regular maintenance. Of course, if you bring it in we need to charge you as per the rules of Guild- Don't give me that look. I don't make the rules."

Takako snapped when some of the new comers showed a face of disbelief. Paying? For weapons to survive? Weren't these people part of the organization as well? Shouldn't this be free?

"The currency of the SSS2 is the meal ticket. The more expensive the meal ticket, the more value it has, except for that legendary super spicy Mabo Tofu. No one will touch it, let alone the meal ticket so that is worthless. Five tickets will get you a pistol, ten for a rifle. Melee weapons vary in price depending on the strength of the weapon and the durability. You can also pay in 'essence' or 'dirt'. Let me show you."

Takako pulled from a bag nearby two jars. One jar was filled with plain dirt. The other, however, was filled with some strange floating blue light.

"I don't need to explain which is which. Essences are created when Shadows and Angels are defeated. The colour of essence refers to the type of essence it is that can be used to enhance different types of weapons. Blue essences increase the durability of weapons, for instance. Red are used for attack power, green for range and length of weapon. White and Black essence are completely different, and they are extremely rare and powerful. Beware of the black essence, however, as they are similar to the Shadows and could swallow you if you are not naturally resistant to it. Next is dirt.

Dirt is what we use to make weapons. Normal dirt can be found anywhere in Guild, so what we want is rare dirt. Essence infused dirt. These are usually the pieces of dirt from which a Shadow or Angel was defeated upon, and the essence that is dropped isn't collected properly, thus being absorbed into the ground. These special cases of dirt are extremely rare as essences have a tendency to disappear when absorbed by the system again, but using these special dirt, we are able to create special weapons. A good example is my chain."

Takako reached behind her and pulled out a long metal link chain. It looked pretty much normal, besides being heavy-duty, but at the snap of her fingers, the chain started to move, surprising some of the new comers.

"By combining three factors, we are able to create specialized weapons that respond only to the individual. The three factors are 'Dirt', 'Soul', and 'Program'. The dirt is like i explained before, the special dirt filled with essence. The second is soul, which means that not everyone can have a specialized weapon. It is truly based on your own nature. Most people do not have such weapons, and only the leaders and a select few have them. Currently only a mere five percent of the organization is capable of using such weapons. Tanaka here isn't one of them."

Takako smirked, but Tanaka merely ignored it.

"The last part is still new. The 'program'. It does not concern you guys at the moment, as it is still being tested out. But what i can tell you is that it is extremely dangerous for it is the very thing that empowers out enemies, the Shadows and the Angels. In other words, we're fighting fire with fire."

Takako snapped her fingers and the moving chain coiled itself up she tucked it away.

"Now that we're done with that part of the introduction, it's time we get you moving to the Assault division... Tanaka, where is that Fujibayashi girl?"

Takako asked, looking around but seeing no sight of the person she was looking for. Tanaka scratched his head, looking at his watch.

"Strange, she's not one to be late. Maybe Ein got them to do some stupid training again."

Tanaka answered, heaving a sigh.

"Well, newcomers, you guys will get a break for now. Follow me to the cafeteria."

* * *

The cafeteria was certainly a sight to behold. The entire building was built primarily for eating, and there were both SSS2 members and NPCs walking about. However it was easy to tell that the SSS2 members were clearly trying to stay away from the NPCs as the organization members sat amongst themselves, not paying the NPCs any attention. It was surely a given since they could not trust the NPCs, who could very well turn into Shadows the next moment, or be Angels in hiding waiting to attack. The SSS2 members were certainly not one of the most hospitable people to exist in this World. Tanaka gave a slight cough, gathering the attention of the group.

"Alright, listen up. If you check with the reception desk either here, in the main school building, or in the dorms, they will give you a certain amount of pocket money to spend in the cafeteria and at the snack shops and vending machines. Each student is given a daily allowance by the school, but we do not like to use it often. We try to be self-sustaining as much as possible, besides, they only give enough for three meals and two snacks. Anyway, you can collect this daily allowance from the reception desks and use it to pay for meal tickets. I have seen some people try to hoard up meal tickets in order to get some large weapon, but that would take up more than a month of not eating in order to get that amount of tickets, so if you're planning on following the same way, try not to die of starvation. Revivals at the aid stations and infirmary will also cost you meal tickets, depending on how you died."

Tanaka warned. Sounds like an overly complicated RPG to Katsuragi though, one of those old traditional RPGs where if you were to die your body would become a coffin and your team mates would have to drag your dead ass over to a church to revive and suddenly you realize you need money to revive and you're broke, so your comrades either just leave you dead or go out to kill some random encounter monster to earn money. What an elaborate description of an old RPG, and Katsuragi really had no idea why he had to mentally describe the process, albeit in a more slightly more gruesome manner.

"Alright, we'll have a break for lunch. All of you, eat up but don't overdo it. I'll call for you guys once i have settled something. Dismissed."

Katsuragi felt slightly lost once that was said. The newcomers were also a little lost, not to mention nervous. This would be the first time they were allowed to do as they want, and it's only the second day since they joined! These newcomers did not know left from right and now they were let free like how you would release a half-trained circus animal back into the wild. To make matters worse, Tanaka had already disappeared from sight, thus preventing the newcomers from asking him further questions.

"... Sigh, well, let's just do this."

Katsuragi muttered, walking off from the group and heading towards the reception desk. Of course, Katsuragi felt slightly odd as well, walking over to talk with an NPC who would probably reply the same things if he asked enough of times.

"Yes? How can i help you?"

The lady behind the desk asked with a smile. Creepy.

"Erm... Can i collect my allowance?"

He asked, not quite sure of how he should go about with it.

"Sure. Do you have your student card?"

"Card?"

He didn't hear anything about a card! He looked around, searching his pocket before he felt something there. He fished it out and realized that it was a student card. His student card. It had his picture on it and the name 'Katsuragi' in hiragana.

"... Is this it?"

He wondered, not too sure if things can be so convenient as this.

"Ah, yes. Let me scan this."

The receptionist took the card and scanned it once. Shortly after, a beeping sound came from the computer behind the desk.

"Alright, would you like to withdraw the money? Or store it in the card?"

She asked, causing further confusion for Katsuragi.

"Card?"

"Oh, didn't you read the recent bulletins? Now you are able to use your student card to pay for different things around the school. Of course, they still accept cash. So? What would it be?"

"... I'll leave it in my card."

He replied, deciding that he could give it a try. Besides, this money isn't something that the SSS2 would use. They were interested in meal tickets, dirt, and floating lights, all of which do not exactly make up for anything, even if this were in a game setting. In the first place, why would they use meal tickets? Sure, the dirt and essence were explanable, but the meal tickets? Well, he guessed that by using meal tickets, the SSS2 would skip the process of going to the receptionist and queuing up for the tickets, thus avoiding coming into contact with most of the NPCs in the cafeteria. But that seemed to be avoiding the problem more than solving it. Well, Katsuragi guessed it still worked out in the end. Somehow or rather.

"So? How did it go?"

Daisuke asked when Katsuragi joined back with the group. Apparently everyone else was interested in knowing as well.

"... It went fine... i guess."

He replied, not too sure on whether it was really alright or not.

"You know, you have to fix that 'i guess' part in your speech."

Daisuke said, shaking his head.

"Well, since you're still alive, i guess there's nothing to be afraid of."

Daisuke smirked, turning to walk over to the receptionist. Katsuragi was too confused and slightly tired to even demand to know why he was made to become the newcomer group's guinea pig. Well, time to eat. Katsuragi walked over to the computerized menu, and was shocked to see the entire list of food was not as simple as a simple pork cutlet, or bowl of beef curry. No, there variations and twists to every order. A pork cutlet had three variations, supreme, deluxe and exquisite. Wasn't there a 'normal' setting? Unbeknownst to Katsuragi, his confused and complete puzzlement over the choices of food had caused a line to form behind him.

"Oi! Hurry up and choose!"

"Our break is only ten minutes long!"

The shouts of complaints by the SSS2 members in particular made Katsuragi even more nervous. He looked for something that was normal and seemingly acceptable. His eyes scrolled through the entire list of food, unsure of what to pick. The answer was not clear, it wasn't right in-front of him. He was lost, completely.

"I wouldn't order that if i were you."

A voice suddenly said. Katsuragi turned around, and saw a single girl standing there. With long dark raven hair and deep blue eyes, this girl seemed to exude a certain presence that he had not felt before. This was... hatred? Spite? Not towards just anyone, but to a particular person. It wasn't Katsuragi who was the target of this spite, but someone else.

"Order what?"

"That."

The girl pointed to where his finger was going to press. Looking at the option himself, he realized that his finger almost pressed the option of 'super spicy mabo tofu'.

"That thing is hot enough to be considered an effective weapon against the Angels. Best not to try it."

Katsuragi nodded to her warning, deciding that if those 'Angels' were weak against that, he would not stand a chance.

"This is a relatively new menu, but don't be fooled by the names. Just pick one, they are more or less the same."

Taking her advice to heart, Katsuragi picked the deluxe pork cutlet. Taking the small ticket from the machine, he stepped aside, allowing the line to continue. That girl was next up, she quickly selected a menu choice, before walking off. Katsuragi quickly followed behind, seeing as he did not know where else he could go. Soon, Katsuragi found himself standing in another queue, though this one was one the next floor, and the end of the line was the kitchen.

"You produce your ticket to the counter and wait for your food. It's simple, didn't you used to have this when you were alive?"

The same girl from before asked, to which Katsuragi shook his head.

"I can't remember."

"... Amnesia.. Huh."

She did not seem to bother with that little detail. Perhaps it really wasn't that rare of a case, but Katsuragi should have noticed that way before this event happened. Maybe his brain was starting to rot even though he was dead. At least that was the impression he was getting from the girl who was glaring down his back. He quickly got to the counter and passed the ticket. He didn't have to wait long before his order came. A steaming bowl of tonkatsu.

"Here, your deluxe pork cutlet. Thanks for waiting."

Katsuragi, however, could not reach out and grab it. Rather, he was frozen in shock and awe at the sight of this single bowl of pork cutlet. Why, you may ask? The answer is rather simple. This bowl of seemingly harmless pork cutlet was glowing. Literally. It was radiating in its own brilliance so much that it was actually shining (in Katsuragi's eyes, that is). So blinded by it that Katsuragi could not grab it, till someone slapped him hard on the back.

"What are you waiting for? Go get it!"

The girl from before grumbled, making him wake from his stupor and grab the bowl of glowing fried pork cutlet. So very bright, and the weight of this bowl wasn't something to laugh at. This was certainly-

"The more you fantasize about your meal, the more it is going to hurt when i punch you to wake up."

A certain angry voice spoke from behind. Right, time to get going then. Katsuragi looked around, looking for a place to sit. The division between the NPCs and the SSS2 members were quite clear. As he was part of the SSS2, Katsuragi guessed he should sit with the SSS2 members. But where exactly? He tried looking around for a familiar face, or an empty table. Unfortunately neither were available to him at that moment.

"Hey! Over here!"

Someone shouted over the noise of the crowd. Katsuragi turned and saw a familiar face waving his hand. Ooguchi Daisuke was seated at one end with the rest of the recruits, though how they managed to get their food before him was somewhat of a mystery that he did not understand nor able to comprehend. But nonetheless he was glad to be no longer standing around like an idiot. Katsuragi reached the table and took a seat next to his noisy friend. While Daisuke wasn't exactly a friend, more along the lines of a 'self-proclaimed' buddy, it was still somewhat nice to be in his company. Sort of.

"Let's all introduce ourselves."

Daisuke offered and most of the recruits agreed, re-introducing themselves to the rest of the group. Katsuragi would not know if he would ever see them again after this recruitment, however, as they were all going their separate ways. Though he did not want to think about it, Katsuragi knew that some of them would fall victim to the Shadows and the Angels. Shadows being the ones that convert them into NPCs and Angels being the ones who completely erase them. Either way it was not a pretty thought or feeling. As such, he did not bother to remember their names that much. It would not do much for him to feel too attached. But why did he feel that? It was unusual for him to be like this, but how did he know what he was like in the first place? Although he would not remember their names, Katsuragi still took time to look at each and every one of them. Each had their own secrets, their own past. They were all now in this war. A war that they did not start but a war that they were put in to survive.

* * *

A/N: I'm going to try something new for the next chapter, so bear with me, alright? It may not be that good, but I'll give it a try. Just sit tight and wait for it.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Hey guys, it's been so long since my last update. What, a month? I had reached what you would call a 'slump', or a 'writer's block', if you will. Those who followed all the stories i wrote would know that i wrote a one shot for Strike Witches, and will be planning to upload a second story (albeit a longer one) onto the same series does NOT mean that i will be dropping this. Far from it. I just need to write more stories in order to prevent my mind from being too absorbed into one story and basically lose all sense of direction.

I send out my condolences to all the Japanese people regarding the recent Earthquake disaster. I followed the news ever since the first quake hit and only knew about the tsunami while i was in the elevator after my gym session (my gym is on the 9th floor of an office building, so i'm not being lazy). I hope my Japanese friends were not affected, but they should not be, since most of them are in the Osaka region. As a ray of shining hope, Akihabara was not too badly affected (i'm being an ass here). It was a lucky thing i was being lazy and chose not to go to Japan for a holiday. If not i would be in Japan at this moment. See? Laziness can save your life. Just not always.

Edit: Did some revisions to make it a little better. Forgot to mention special congrats to Kon, who figured about something about Katsuragi. He is so far on the right track.

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 5_

_Dead Tired_

Tanaka had reappeared shortly after the recruits had finished their lunch, which was just in time as the school's chime signalled the end of lunch break for the NPCs. The SSS2 members also started to leave the cafeteria, leaving only a small handful who either wanted to hang around, or just entered the cafeteria to eat. Tanaka gathered the recruits, telling them that they were to follow him to their first form of training.

"All of you will undergo the basic training for fighting. This will also determine whether you are naturally inclined to be on the battlefield or not. Now follow me and try not to fall behind."

Tanaka warned before setting off out of the cafeteria. The recruits followed quickly behind the senior SSS2 member, trying not to lose their pace as Tanaka seemed to be in a hurry. They were led straight from the cafeteria out in the direction of the forest behind the school. The crude walking path that was clearly made by cutting through the branches and under brush slowly disappeared as they headed deeper into the forest. Soon, the sounds from the school were nothing more than an echo and then the sound of the school was gone altogether. All the recruits could hear were the sounds of their feet shuffling in the dirt, the rustle of the leaves, the heavy pants of their breaths and the loud beatings of their own hearts. No one spoke a word, no one muttered a complaint. Katsuragi wondered if this was going to continue for the rest of the recruitment camp.

Well, he decided not to interact with the rest of them often until he knew where he was going to be posted at. Tanaka soon led the group out of the thick forest and into a large clearing. Wooden huts were constructed all around this clearing, as well as a large area of cleared out and had multiple SSS2 members in grey singlets and pants and boots, each doing a different form of exercise or training in groups. This wasn't just some student camp, this was a completely military level of organization. A girl with violet coloured hair tied into a tail walked over them. She too being dressed in the training clothes but sporting a baseball cap with the symbol of the SSS2 on it as well as an arm band that had a certain insignia on it.

"Yo, Tanaka, took your time."

The girl smirked, crossing her arms. She gave off them feeling that she wasn't really all that feminine. But that thought crossed out of Katsuragi's mind the moment a large book went flying past him, missing his head by a mere hair's breath.

"I heard that, new kid."

The violet haired girl's smirk had turned into something similar to that of a demon's.

"I thought you were suppose to take over from Guild. I spent the entire lunch time looking for you."

Tanaka explained, obviously not too happy judging from his tone.

"Oh? I was here all along. Well, you needed to skip lunch anyway. Slim down a little would do wonders for your body."

"Whatever. Just take over, would you? I need to eat something."

Tanaka muttered, walking away from the group.

"The canteen's serving boiled potato soup if you're interested! Third shack on the right!"

The girl shouted after Tanaka, who did not even respond properly but a wave as he walked off. Probably in search for food. The violet girl turned back to the recruits, her eyes looking at each of every single one of them carefully. Just like Tanaka did from before.

"Listen up! I'm Fujibayashi Kyou, the vice commander of the Assault division, and the leader of the main front-line squad: the "War Boars". My task is to train each and everyone of you to get used to fighting Shadows, but more importantly how to survive the harshest of conditions that you can, and will face. You all will train in this clearing for one week, and you will be assigned rooms to stay in while here. Hope you guys had a good lunch at the cafeteria since you will not be enjoying the food we have here. Welcome to boot camp 101. Class is in session and attendance is mandatory."

* * *

Ein Shrewerz, leader of the second division of the SSS2, the assault division, was feeling slightly out of it at the moment. Leaning over the window sill, the half Japanese half German was staring at the recruits go at it at the field from his temporary office in the forest clearing. He could not help but laugh a little, watching his second in command turn into a demon as she started almost immediately to train the new recruits.

"Fifty laps of running in the forest. She doesn't hold back as usual, does she?"

A voice said from behind. Ein did not bother to turn around to face the person behind him.

"I do believe that your interest lies in a certain recruit, am i right?"

Ein raised a finger and pointed to a certain young man. Pushing off from the wall, the person behind Ein smirked, walking over to join Ein by the window, leaning her arm on the frame of the window. With her long dark hair and beret with a blazer draped over her shoulders, the leader of Fort nodded with a smile that bordered to something close to that of a demon's.

"I do not believe in coincidences, Ein, never did and i will not begin now. That recruit is special. His meeting with Kou on the first day of arrival was not coincidence. The fact that Tanaka felt something wrong with him was also no coincidence. The day of his arrival, that 'incident' with the Angel Player program also occurred and-"

"And 'you do not believe it to be a coincidence'. I get where you're coming from, Yuki, but the rest of us still cannot see what is so great about him. As per the rules that we set together, all recruits are members of the SSS2 general group. They can be used by any division, not just you."

Ein corrected Yuki. The 'Queen' of Fort was not one to take being interrupted lightly, but since she was feeling slightly happy this moment, she would let it slide.

"I know that. The fact that you still have Kyou and Tomoyo is enough proof to show that i am willing to 'share' the recruits."

"... Whatever you say."

Ein replied, getting up from the window and walking over to the side where a small icebox was. He opened it and took two cans of 'Key' coffee, tossing one to Yuki, who caught it. Yuki stared at the can for the moment, then looked up to Ein who was quickly draining his can of drink.

"... How long have we known each other, Ein?"

Yuki suddenly asked.

"Huh? What's with this all of a sudden?"

Ein asked, raising an eyebrow with a confused look that had a hint of annoyance.

"I'm asking how long have we known each other for. Ten? Fifteen years?"

"... Eighteen."

Yuki smiled sadly at that reply.

"Eighteen years... That is a very long time, don't you think? And you only arrived several years after i recreated the SSS2. I've been in this World, fighting this bloody meaningless war for more than two decades... How long will this continue on?"

Ein stared at Yuki for the moment, before finally sighing. This wasn't the first time that Yuki had this problem. Ein had suffered from it before. Everyone in the SSS2 has. They have been fighting this war for so long. It would be more unusual for someone to not crack under so much pressure. Yuki, the leader of Fort and the most important person in the SSS2, was probably the one who suffered the most. Ein lost count of how many times Yuki went mad from all of this fighting. She was the most sane, and the most unstable person in the organization.

"... We have plenty of time, Yuki. To us, time does not matter."

"MAYBE TO YOU IT DOESN'T! BUT TO ME IT DOES!"

Yuki shouted at Ein, throwing the can of coffee at him. Ein merely dodged the can, having been used to it by now.

"I've been in this war for so long that I'm surprised I haven't been reincarnated five times over!"

Ein silently listened, letting the leader of Fort vent her anger freely at him and the table in the shack, which broke when she brought down her fist on it.

"... There goes another table."

Ein muttered, pushing the remains aside as Yuki panted heavily, regaining her composure.

"... Sorry about that, Ein."

"Happens all the time."

Though Ein did not need to add that it had been happening more frequently the past few months. Yuki bent down and picked her beret off the floor, dusting it before putting it back on her head.

"... Whenever i see these new recruits, i-... I can't help but think of how many more lives must i put on the front lines? Each of their faces i can still remember. Haramoto Shouji, twelve years ago, lost to a shadow during Operation 'Sting Fire'. Isumi Haruhiko, ten years ago, lost in the shadow raid of Building block C. Tennou Rei, seven years ago, lost to shadows during an ambush along the cafeteria. Matsumoto Natsuho, five years ago, lost to the angel down in the battle of Guild. Kobayashi Nami, lost to an Angel during Operation 'Setting Sun'. The list goes on and on. Each day, their faces still haunt me, their faces still crying out for my help... I don't know if i can continue with this."

Ein stayed silent, watching over the frail leader. Yuki was a strong leader, but the stronger the leader, the weaker they are in person. To support the entire organization, to shoulder the burden of the lives of thousands of souls. It does not matter how many victories they attained, or how many times they beat the Shadows and Angels back. To Yuki, she looked at neither the victories, nor the celebrations. She looked at the ones lost, the ones who did not make it. Ein and the other leaders all knew that after each battle, Yuki would disappear off on her own into the woods. Deep in the woods behind the school was something no one but the leaders of the SSS2 knew. A graveyard.

It began in a small clearing at first. Yuki dragged the largest stone she could find by herself to that spot. With her hands bloodied and raw, she managed to drag the large boulder nearly ten kilometres to where it sits till now. On it, she carved out each name that was lost. But as the years went by, the stone's surface was filled up and Yuki dragged a second stone. But soon that too was covered with names. To prevent Yuki from torturing herself again, Yuuko accompanied Yuki the next time she went and the two dug a small cave with which to carve the names of the fallen on the walls. Soon the other leaders came forward and helped out, even the ever quiet fifth division's head, Kenji. The cave network was immense and large, enough to house the current SSS2 twice over, but Ein knew that it too would need to be expanded.

This war will never end. Ein knew it. Yuki knew it. Everyone did. And it was because it was an inevitable reality that Yuki had to divert the attention of every single member onto her, making them forget about that never ending prospect of fighting. She shouldered their insecurities, she carried their fears, she was the one who embraced them all. A great leader is one who can lead the people behind an iron mask, never showing weakness, never showing fear. Yuki is such a leader and that is why the others had recognized her as the one to lead the SSS2. Ein had to laugh that that though, when he first came to this World, he scoffed at the fact that this rag-tag band of students were led by a frail girl. She could not fight that well, she wasn't extremely physically strong and she lacked any real form of strategies during battles.

But Ein soon realized his mistake. That frail girl was in fact, much stronger than he was. Not physically, but mentally and emotionally. She mercilessly led this band of lost and confused students into a sizeable force. She organized the divisions, showing a constant face of calm and cool under enemy fire. She never wavered, never once blinked the face of death. She cast the uncertainties of the organization with her words, she led the men, once frightened to the point where they were rooted to their spots, to rise up and charge without a care for their own safeties with a single snap of a finger. She was a born leader, a fearless Goddess of war. Covered in an ocean of blood, standing on top of a mountain of corpses, Taeno Yuki was invincible. But she was also a young girl at the same time. No matter how many walls of steel she hides behind, no matter how victories she accumulates, she could not hide those tears, the pain she suffered. Ein sighed, shaking his head. He hated doing this, but for the sake of everyone, he must. They have come too far into this to simply have their leader fail. For this reason alone, Ein must become to devil.

"Even though you do not know if you can continue, you must. You started this war, and you will see it through. Fight, fight till your bones break and shatter. Bleed till you are dry. You will continue to lead this organization, or die trying."

Ein coldly told her. Yuki did not seemed surprised, however. Instead, she smiled a little.

"... You know we can't die."

She said, crossing her arms with a smirk on her face.

"So the little boy finally gotten a mouth with which to talk back."

"It's been eighteen years, after all."

Ein replied smugly. Yuki smiled at that, and walked over to the door of the shack.

"Where are you heading to now?"

Ein asked.

"I'm going to see Shoka. Tease her a little to make myself feel slightly better. Oh, and maybe I'll go see how the recruits are holding up."

"Huh, same old devil."

Ein smirked, taking a swing from his drink. Yuki paused by the door.

"Thank you Ein."

"I did nothing."

Yuki smiled at his reply.

"... I don't particularly hate the way you lie."

She said, before walking off. Ein blinked a couple of times, before smiling.

"I wasn't lying though."

* * *

Fujibayashi Kyou having a hell of a time. Well, sort of. For one, she really liked pushing these recruits to the breaking point just to see how they would handle themselves. In this instance, she would be enjoying herself. But on the other hand, she really hated going through the same routine over and over again. During the first few days of training, the trainees would be subjected to intense physical training and be taught basic survival tactics. And during this time, none will survive. It does not matter what they did when they were still alive, this training regime was something that Yuki herself made.

Tweaked by Ein and adapted by Kyou, this was one hellish training. It would not be unusual for even the fittest person to die at least three times. In fact, it would not be unusual for a corpse to die again before it was revived. Kyou crossed her arms, watching the trainees drag their feet across the mud, trying to get over the next obstacle of log walls. Of course, there were spikes at the other end of each log wall, so if a recruit was careless and jumped straight down from the top of the wall, they would get impaled. The sounds of cheering from around the training field caught Kyou's attention. Those assault members who were supposed to be training were all gathering around and starting to watch the recruits go at it. Some were cheering the recruits while others were passing about meal tickets. Betting, that was expected of them. This would take some energy. She inhaled a deep breath.

"HEY! YOU LAZY IDIOTS! THOSE WHO DARE TO SLACK OFF ON TRAINING WILL SUFFER PUNISHMENT IN THE COOK HOUSE!"

Kyou's shouting made the assault members all scared and they ran off. There were some who didn't hear her, though, so she reached into her pocket and pulled out several small pebbles. She clenched them tightly in her fist.

"... Access. Execute Angel Player program. Sub-routine: Creation_Book."

The stones in her hand glowed and soon became large books. Holding one book in her hand, Kyou reared back and chucked the book as hard as she could. The book flew straight like a homing missile for its target. The book hit the young assault member in the head, sending him flying off into the distance. Before his companions could react, more books flew in and knocked them out of the field as well.

"Hmm.. still not as hard as i wanted them to fly."

Kyou muttered, before noticing that the recruits had all stopped and stared in awe at what just happened.

"... DO YOU GUYS WANT THE SAME TO HAPPEN TO YOU? !"

She shouted at them, which caused them to continue their course with renewed vigor. Or was it fear?

"As usual, you're aim is very good."

A voice spoke up, causing Kyou to turn around. Walking up to her with her military style beret and blazer over her shoulders, the leader of the SSS2, Taeno Yuki was admiring the handiwork of the training with a somewhat pleased look.

"General, i wasn't expecting you here."

Kyou said, her stance snapping to alert with her hand to salute. Yuki waved it off, though.

"You don't need to do that. This whole ranking idea was Ein's anyway."

"So you may say, but it brings order and discipline. This isn't ten years ago where we only numbered so few. Now we have over a thousand members, so structuring is important."

Kyou replied, relaxing a little. Yuki raised an eyebrow at that reply.

"... You were never this stiff, Kyou. What, did Ein tried to cook your pet pig again?"

"Botan isn't a pig! He's a boar!"

Kyou shouted back, causing some of the recruits to stop and stare. Again. But one fierce glare from Kyou made them run back to their routine.

"Pig, Boar, same thing. Anyway, how are the recruits handling themselves?"

Yuki turned the focus of the conversation to the people running around the mud. One recruit slipped in the mud and fell straight into the spike trap. Kyou and Yuki did not flinch at that sight, though Kyou was sighing in dismay.

"They are quite bad at the moment. None of them seem to be able to last at least one lap without dying once."

Kyou replied, her voice hinting of disappointment.

"Ha ha, well, you have to give them some breathing room. No one comes to this World and immediately becomes Kou's level."

"Kou is a special case. Those... 'ghosts' of the sixth division are all like that. They aren't normal."

Yuki could sense fear in Kyou's voice when she said that. It was to be expected, though, since the entire sixth division was literally like a bunch of 'ghosts'. Actually, they all were if you looked at it in a technical sense.

"They are normal."

"Kou wasn't like that! You said it yourself that Kou is different now!"

Kyou snapped at Yuki, then realized her mistake, lowering her head as she cursed herself inwardly.

"... Kou hasn't changed. She is still the same. Whatever i said in the past is irrelevant."

"Whatever you say."

Kyou muttered, turning her attention back to the recruits. It wasn't for a few minutes of silence before Kyou realized that Yuki was still standing behind her.

"Anything else?"

She asked, slightly irked by the presence of the leader of Fort.

"... Kyou, are you afraid of her?"

Yuki asked a rather sensitive question that made Kyou pause.

"... Yes, i probably am. Look, unlike the rest of us, Kou can kill those Angels like they're nothing but lambs for the slaughter. Can you do that, Yuki? Could you kill an Angel while looking straight into their eyes? Can you kill one of your own members of Fort right there and then? It isn't like shooting them to save them from being converted. It is like fighting yourself. It is like killing your soul. It isn't normal."

"Is that why you rejected joining the sixth division when Kou invited you?"

Yuki asked. Kyou tightened her fist into a ball, digging her own nails into the palm of her hand. Frustrated with no one but herself.

"I want to help her. I really do. But i'm afraid. The current Kou reminds me of what what we all are. That we are dead. Nothing matters, no one cares. All we are... are simply mindless fighting machines."

Kyou hated it. This wasn't what she wanted. She did not die only to enter in some war that wasn't hers. She did not lose all hope only to end up driven in a corner. She lost her family, lost her friends. Now was she going to lose them all again?

"... You know, i was thinking about the same thing just a few minutes ago."

Yuki admitted, earning a surprised look from Kyou.

"W-what?"

"I was thinking about how this war was endless. About how i keep having to send comrades, friends into battle to face certain death. It is a decision that haunts me every day."

Kyou kept silent, listening to Yuki's talk. It was foolish of Kyou to even complain about her worries to Yuki. Yuki, who had braved the dangers for over two decades. She who held the entire SSS2 upon her shoulders and kept walking on. Kyou was in no position to say anything.

"Ah, but I'm all better now. Thanks to your commander for punching me in the face."

"... Eh?"

Kyou blinked a couple of times just to make sure what she heard was right.

"... EIN DID WHAT? !"

"Oh, he gave me a little wake-up call, that's all-"

"I told him countless times not to act like his crazy self in front of others, but does he listen? Nooo. Not to mention he hit Yuki. This time i'm going to beat some sense into him."

Before Yuki could stop her, Kyou had stormed off in the direction of Ein's shack. Yuki stared for the moment, before the sounds of a man screaming was heard in the distance.

"... Oops."

* * *

A/N: I have started to integrate Angel player program into the story but the one Kyou used was only a sub-category. I will expand on it more later.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: The situation in Japan seems to fluctuate between good news and bad. I know that right now the only thing I can do is hope for the best for them.

This chapter contains some _**inappropriate**_ words and themes that were written down before this accident in Japan occurred. I wanted to change it in order to respect the Japanese people with their current disaster, but as I had placed too much emphasis on it, it is my regret to inform you that I was unable to omit those parts.

I implore you readers to read this in only the lightest of sense and if you feel offended or feel as though I had intentionally offended the people in Japan or any other related, I apologize for it and swear that it was not intentional.

As for why I chose to post this chapter now rather than waiting for this disaster to die down is simply because I do not see any reason to hold back posting new chapters. And as stated above, the situation in Japan seems to be moving from good to bad and back to good. Now is probably the time to release this chapter or else I would not post anything till a month after the situation in Japan has been stabilized. My time to write this story is limited and I am hard pressed to finish it as soon as possible.

Thank you for your understanding.

* * *

**_Disclaimer warning: This chapter may contain inappropriate themes that may and will offend some readers. THIS CHAPTER IS NOT INTENDED TO OFFEND. Reader discretion is advised._**

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 6_

_Poison Best Served Warm  
_

To most of the new recruits, it was like being sent to hell. The training they did under the great lord of hell, Enma (read as Fujibayashi Kyou), was something out of a Spartan training textbook. They had to run around the obstacle course of death for five rounds, resulting in everyone dying at least once. Katsuragi heaved a sigh of relief once their demon instructor had decided to let them rest for the moment. Looking around, he noticed that most of the recruits had collapsed onto the ground in pure exhaustion. Holes dotted their now blood-stained uniform and though most of them were terrified of seeing their own blood, after a few more times of dying and running, everyone was simply too tired to bother. It wasn't like they were completely immune to it though, even Katsuragi looked down to see his singlet tattered and riddled with holes. He had actually lost count how many times he died. He remembered getting over the log wall and losing balance, thus falling straight into the spiked pit. That hurt, it really did.

"Alright recruits, up on your feet."

Kyou called out as she walked over to them. For some reason, her fist was red and smoking. The recruits all groaned and grumbled complaints, but still got to their feet nonetheless.

"Right, all of you, get your fire-arms ready. We'll start with the basic shooting practice."

Katsuragi remembered that some of the guys were rather excited to use their weapons, but now that they were all drained of energy, no one seemed to be excited about anything.

"What's this? All of you lack spirit and energy! Put some guts into it!"

Kyou shouted and forced everyone to their feet.

"Right, we'll go through the basic weapons training. Follow me to the range."

Kyou led all of the recruits out of the field and down another narrow path. What Katsuragi noticed during his short break was that this open field in the middle of the forest was only one of the major clearings in this place. He had overheard some assault members talking about the other clearings and other training areas. This wasn't a simple exercise camp, this was a fully built and operational military camp. Kyou led them down the short path and they soon reached the second clearing. The buildings in this area were different. Closer to the entrance of the clearing was a fully operational shooting range, where a couple of assault members were practising their shots. Next to the range was a large building structure of some sort. Katsuragi spotted a group of assault members, dressed in their training fatigues, readying by the door of the building. They then opened the door and charged in almost similar to the way police conduct raids.

"Go go go!"

"Clear left!"

"Enemy right! Firing!"

Voices echoed from within the structure as well as gun shots and explosions. That was a simulated training building? Just what was going on in this place? Kyou gathered the recruits by the side and got them to take out their weapons. While most had pistols, Katsuragi noticed that some were given knives. Kyou separated the two types of weapons into groups.

"Those with knives are going to train more with their bodies and foot work. As for those with pistols, I need to instruct you on weapons safety and usage."

Kyou began, taking out her own pistol.

"This flip here is the safety. Turn it on and the gun will not fire, turn it off and it will. Simple? Good. This is the magazine reload. Those with revolvers, do it like this."

Kyou took out another gun, a revolver, and she pushed the cylinder out from the gun, showing everyone how it was done.

"Now, those with magazine fed guns, you need to be careful with loading in a new magazine. It is not as easy as it looks and you need to be careful not to do it so hard that you damage the gun. Slide it in with some force, and pull back the slide to chamber the first round."

Kyou showed by example.

"When firing, use both hands to hold the gun, I don't want any heroics and stupid idiots who fancy themselves as movie gunmen. Line up your sights to the enemy, squeeze the trigger firmly and always remember... DO NOT CLOSE YOUR EYES."

Kyou stressed that last part to the point where Katsuragi thought that she must have had some bad experience with closed eyes shooters before.

"Focus on where you're pointing your weapon. Do not loosen up your shoulders and do not lock it too tightly when firing."

Kyou went on for another five minutes, mainly about gun maintenance that Goudatera Takako from Guild had already went through. Apparently maintaining your weapon is something that is taken rather seriously in the SSS2.

"Alright, enough with the lessons. You will all now line up at the range. Your seniors will be standing by the side to watch your progress. Ask if you are uncertain about anything. As for the close range members, you will follow me. I'll get you a special instructor to teach you."

Katsuragi looked at the pistol in his hand and then to the range. It wasn't like he was used to using the gun, but it somehow felt natural to him. He walked over to a booth at the range and looked to his left and right. The other recruits were all taking up positions. The assault members who were using the range before were now standing behind them, observing them as the recruits tried to get their weapons to load.

"You're doing it wrong!"

"Chamber the round before firing!"

"You're shoulders are too stiff."

"Aim! Look at what you're shooting!"

"That's your own eye you're going to blow a hole through."

"You want me to hold your gun for you? Are you nuts? ! What are you, five? !"

The comments were the seniors were increasingly getting nuts, so Katsuragi simply concentrated on his own range. He trained his sights on the target at 50 metres. He squeezed the trigger, but did not expect the recoil from the weapon to be that great, resulting in his hands flying somewhat high up.

"You need to lock your elbows."

A young familiar voice spoke from behind. He turned around and saw that same young girl who helped him in the cafeteria. She was dressed in training fatigues and was clearly not amused by what was happening.

"Don't look at me, idiot, look at the target."

She snapped, forcing Katsuragi to look back. He trained his sights once more, but this time the young girl reached out and corrected his posture.

"You need to widen your stance. The way you're standing your centre of gravity is centred too high. Aim lower. You have a tendency to aim too high."

After awhile, she stepped back.

"Now shoot."

Katsuragi did not think of whether he wanted to question about her pressing her body to close to his during her 'corrections', since he sort of figured out that questioning seniors is a huge 'no-no'. He squeezed the trigger and fired the shot. He was surprised that this time, his hands didn't fly upwards, and he hit the target dead-on.

"See? You can do it if you tried."

She sighed.

"Er... Thanks..."

He said, turning to her.

"... It's Mana."

"Huh?"

"My name. Ryougi Mana."

He did not know if she was wanting him to call her that, or because she did not want to be referred to as 'you'.

"... Okay, thanks, Ryougi-senpai."

* * *

Dinner was always such a sadistic game, at least for the older members of the assault division. The recruits had no idea what was going to head their way. Fujibayashi Kyou was not in-charge of making dinner as Ein had assigned a separate division to do it. Yes, the assault division relied on one other group to help support them. While Yuki did specify that every division was meant to cooperate with one another most of the time the different divisions stuck to their own things. This borrowing of a group was Ein's way to show Yuki that the assault group was getting other divisions involved. However what most people knew was that this group did not exactly make 'food'. Kyou could only watch as her assault division members all dragged their feet unwillingly towards the mess hall. She could only pray for their deaths to be swift.

"Ah, Kyou-chan."

Kyou jumped a little upon hearing that voice call out to her. She slowly turned around and saw the one person she did not want to meet.

"... Na-..Nagisa."

The young student cook was dressed in some sort of apron from hell, with blood splatter all over her apron and she carrying a large pot of bubbling purple liquid that seemed to give off a smell that was impossible for the human nose to identify.

"You're skipping out on dinner again? You can't do that!"

"I-I'll get my dinner later."

Kyou tried to excuse her way out of it, though Nagisa did not seem to be convinced.

"You always say that! What, is my cooking really that bad?"

In a word, yes. But Kyou knew better than to say that out loud. Kyou knew that Nagisa wasn't always a bad cook, rather she cooked extremely delicious meals when she was first assigned to be part of the cooking group. But as time went by, some how or rather her cooking skills deteriorated to the point where the pot she was holding onto disintegrated and the purple contents spilt onto the floor, causing the grass to smoke, sizzle, whither and die. Was that acid? That had to be acid. That wasn't food at all.

"Oops, there goes another pot. I'll make sure you eat, Kyou-chan, so don't run off."

Nagisa stared at Kyou before running off to find another pot. Kyou knew better than to stick around. She needed to run away. Kyou guessed that Nagisa's bad cooking skills was mainly due to the appearance of two things. One was her discovery of her mother's recipe for incredibly dangerous bread, and the second was by a strange glowing jam that was brought together by two other members; Tsukimiya Ayu, and Minase Nayuki. While Kyou does not know much about Minase Nayuki, only knowing that she was part of the runner's group for Guild, she does know that Nayuki took this recipe from her mother's bread with intentions to sell it as some sort of biological chemical weapon against shadows, and that she herself was wary to use it.

Then came the leader of the medics, Tsukimiya Ayu, whose tastes buds were somewhat off whack. That young medic kept eating sweets to the point where she probably couldn't tell that the glowing jam was dangerous. Thus, she thought of it as good, combined it with Nagisa's extreme-super-ultra-hyper-rainbow bread to form some sort of radioactive bomb, affecting those who were in the kitchen that day, which meant the cooking group. Thus the cooking group's food is anything but edible. Kyou even swore that Nagisa still uses that radioactive combination in her cooking, even today's dinner. Kyou managed to make it back to the commander's shack, where Ein was already tucking himself into a nice bowl of udon he got a runner to buy for him from the cafeteria.

"... Where's mine?"

Kyou asked, raising any eyebrow. Ein pointed to the side where a packet of fried noodles were. Kyou wanted to complain, but held back. She knew that anything was better than whatever the cooking group was making.

"Sho? Fat's shash foofing fup foing?"

Ein asked, mouth filled with noodles.

"... Swallow before talking, or else I'll make a second hole for that noodle to disappear into."

Kyou warned, sitting down with the fried soba noodles in hand. Ein swallowed his food before asking.

"So what's that cooking group doing?"

"... Same always, making acidic radioactive poison. I swear that thing is getting more dangerous by the day. Sooner or later no one is going to be able to revive from that."

Kyou replied, snapping her chopsticks apart and starting to dig into her meal. Ein shivered at the thought of the food, going straight back to his meal. It wasn't long before a group of assault members entered the shed. The squad leaders were all late in coming here, and apparently they were dragged off by some cooking group member, as their faces were quite off colour.

"Died?"

Ein asked, pointing them to the stash of packet food.

"Five. Each. Ryusei died only once."

One of the guys said, grabbing a packet food to eat.

"My condolences to all of you. Remind me to buy flowers for your funerals."

"Put a sock in it, Ein. Hey! Ryusei! That's mine!"

Just as one of the guys said that, his head had a large hole in the centre of his forehead and he fell backwards, dead. The smoking gun was none other than a long hunting rifle in the hand of the silent squadron leader of the snipers, Ryusei Suou. No one was surprised by the scene, carrying on eating as though nothing happened.

"Suou, you need to learn to stop drawing your rifle in this place."

Ein said.

"Exactly! That hurt!"

"Oh, you're revived? That's fast."

Kyou muttered.

"Kyou-san! Can't you stop being so cruel?"

"Nope."

"Immediate answer? !"

"Sit down and eat, you idiot. You're making my soba taste funny."

"Ein! say something!"

The squadron leader pleaded. Ein sighed, scratching his head as he stood up.

"Suou, you need to put that rifle away."

"Exactly! You tell her-"

"You nearly shot my precious manga collection."

Ein pointed to where the bullet was lodged in the wall slightly off from Ein's collection of books.

"EIN? !"

Suou looked at Ein and nodded silently, putting away her rifle.

"YOU ACCEPTED THAT REASON? !"

"You better pipe down or else I'll be the next one to shoot you. And I promise you that it will hurt a lot more and longer."

Kyou warned, forcing the squadron leader to sit back down in fear.

"... Anyway, how are the recruits?"

Ein asked, changing the topic and hopefully the atmosphere of the room.

"They'll survive."

Kyou replied shortly.

"Well, the close range batch need more time to train. Their footwork are still in a mess."

One of them said.

"I saw some of them shooting at the range. Half of them blew themselves up before actually aiming the gun at the target."

Another muttered.

"Ah, I saw Ryougi Mana actually teaching someone."

"What? 'That' Ryougi? I thought she would not teach anyone anything."

"A lone ranger... do you still think she's still holding a grudge against Division 6's Sakamoto?"

"Who knows."

Kyou wasn't interested in the conversation, slowly eating her noodles. Ryougi Mana, a solitary existence. Coming to this world while holding onto a grudge. Who would have guessed that Ryougi Mana and Sakamoto Shiki knew each other while they were alive, not to mention that Shiki was the very focus of revenge for Mana. But no matter how many times Kyou asks about it, neither were willing to say why. Shiki clearly knew about it, and it seemed to pain her slightly. Everyone had their secrets. That was true, but sooner or later, those secrets would need to surface.

"Kyou."

She looked up and saw Ein staring straight at her, his eyes showing that he was serious.

"Tell me, Kyou... how are the recruits."

Kyou looked at Ein for that moment, her memories flickering back to 'him'. Ein was somewhat similar to 'him'. It was such a distant past that she almost forgot about it. Maybe it wasn't that she forgot about him. She wanted to forget him, but could never do it. He was always there. He would never leave her mind. Ein wasn't 'him', however, and she knew that better than anyone. Because of this, she knew that her past will keep on haunting her. She looked back to her noodles, digging her chopsticks into it.

"... They'll survive..."

They will survive. She will make sure of it.

* * *

A/N: Oh yes, check back to chapter 5 since i made some minor alterations, mainly to two parts because the grammar was completely off.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: It's been a tiring week for me, though on a more mental and emotional note. My desktop took a nose dive into oblivion (not the game, though interestingly I only recently uninstalled that game to give my desktop more space before it crashed) and I had to buy a new hard drive since the old one was corrupted beyond salvation. I don't even think an unhealthy dose of hyper rainbow bread with ultimate jam oozing from all corners would help.

Glad to see that everyone still remembers the deadly jam and the deadly bread. Yes, how unforgettable that episode was... I still get shivers each time I think about it.

About 'that guy' that Kyou mentioned in the previous chapter... well, I will not be spoiling anything. Just imagine what happened to her on you're own. I may put out an Omake to provide some back-ground story on the characters in this story. After all of this is over, that is.

To answer a question, Ryusei Suou is the captain of the sniper squad of the assault division. She is actually taken from the show 'Darker than Black 2: Ryusei no Gemini'. In that show, she is half Russian, so her last name was actually Pavlichenko, but I changed it to Ryusei, a tribute to the show she came from. Ryusei actually means 'comet'.

I was actually waiting for some people to give me names of their characters (some of my friends), but since I could not wait any longer, all of the new recruits are my creation. I gotta think of their character design when I get the time...

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 7_

_First Battle_

Katsuragi had always wondered if this was truly the afterlife. That 'meal', if one should ever so dare call it that, was proof that this was a cruel and harsh World that he entered. He looked down into the shallow grave, with the other members of the recruits gathered round.

"He was such a good guy."

One of the guys said, wiping his tears and crying onto the shoulder of another.

"There, there, it was merely... his time."

"Is this how we would all end up eventually."

"Ashes to ashes... dust to dust."

Everyone looked down with sorrow at the one in the shallow grave.

"He looks so peaceful."

"... Let's do it."

The boys in the group took the shovels and started to shovel back the soil back into the grave. Some of the girls started to weep slightly.

"Farewell... Daisuke."

At that moment, a hand suddenly burst through the soil, making some of the girls jump back.

"I'M. NOT. DEAD!"

Daisuke crawled out of his shallow grave, coughing and trying to get dirt out of his mouth.

"Don't kill me off just like that!"

He screamed at the guys. The guys all looked at each other, then to him with the most 'whatever' look.

"But you weren't waking up after so long."

"Plus, you ate one whole pot of that poison while trying to impress one of the cooks."

"Even the senpais also thought you were a gone case."

"Well, that's what you get for trying to show off."

Daisuke had no come back for that. Katsuragi only sighed, thinking about how all of this was simply stupid. And it was a good thing that this ended since Kyou now walked up to the group.

"Alright, break's over. We will now commence night training."

Kyou announced, causing some of the recruits to groan and complain.

"Don't 'eehhhh' me. Shadows have a higher probability of attacking at night. It is important that all of you get used to fighting in the dark. Of course, there are perks to fighting at night, like how there aren't any pesky NPCs who would stop you."

Kyou said, sounding like she really enjoyed the night part of fighting. Either that, or she was planning something evil for their training. It did not matter, however, since either prospects did not seem to suit the recruits well.

"I'll tell you what you guys will be doing for here on out. Right now the time is 20:00 hours. In one hour, you all will head into the forest with full gear. Each of you will be given standard issue rifles with five magazines each."

Kyou explained, but immediate some one saw a problem with that statement. Narusaki Yue, the one who never fails to question something.

"Fujibayashi senpai, wasn't it to train us to be used to our own weapons? Why a standard issue?"

"Good question."

Kyou smirked, surprising most of the recruits, who thought that Yue would finally get shot in the head for asking too much.

"The standard issue is not to familiarize yourselves with your own weapons, but rather to feel of combat. And you will all need to know how to use another weapon in case your primary and secondary weapons are either empty or unable to be used. Survival does not mean being good at what you have, but rather it means using anything and everything that is around you to your advantage. You're not good at something? Train until you are at an acceptable level. We do not expect all of you to be super soldiers, but you will need to know how to utilize even the smallest item around you as a weapon, find every exit in any situation, turn any dangerous situation completely around, and ultimately, survive. That is what we train you for, and that is what you all will learn. The greatest weapon to humans isn't a gun or a sword, but anything you put into your hands. Your mind is your ultimate cheat weapon with unlimited ammunition, and it is also the one weapon that is effective against anything we stand up against. Learn to use it and you will live. We all will."

* * *

Battle groups

Alpha:

-Ishida (Male)

-Todoroki Wataru (Male)

-Fujita Yoshihiko (Male)

-Minamoto Kaaya (Female)

-Kuroe Hitomi (Female)

Beta:

-Motoyama Rei (Male)

-Wakamoto Souichirou (Male)

-Kawaguchi Naoyuki (Male)

-Shinagawa Mina (Female)

-Saya (Female)

Charlie:

-Kashiide Kazu (Male)

-Hiroshi (Male)

-Ooguchi Daisuke (Male)

-Narusaki Yue (Female)

-Wakase Izumi (Female)

Delta:

-Katsuragi (Male)

-Kusanagi Yamato (Female)

-Mitsuhide Ayane (Female)

Katsuragi stared at the group organization charts. There had to be something wrong with this arrangement. He looked to his two team mates. Both girls. Kusanagi Yamato was one who kept asking questions to Tanaka, but she looked like she had a good strong trigger finger. Mitsuhide Ayane, a silent and rather stoic girl. She wasn't training with guns at the range, so Katsuragi figured she must be one of those close quarters combatant. As if reading his mind, Ayane took out a machete from a holder tied around her waist to sharpen. Why sharpen it now? Wasn't this exercise meant to be using guns? But something about this whole set-up did not seem right. Why give them live rounds? To get used to it? Something still did not sit right with Katsuragi about this.

"Alright! Everyone is in their groups? Good! I will now explain the rules of this exercise."

Kyou shouted to gather the attention of the recruits. Katsuragi also noticed that a number of assault members were standing around with their guns, but they were all facing the 'other' way. Kyou knocked her fist against a large board that was rolled out and had a map like drawing on it.

"We will now commence the night exercises. As all of you have noticed, we are in the middle of the forest behind the school. We have bordered off a five kilometres radius of forest to simulate this exercise. Each team will enter the forest from a separate entry point led by your senpais. The entry points are marked on your maps."

The recruits took out their maps, as did Katsuragi. He noticed that the map showed one entire section of the forest being circled. One arrow pointing in was marked D. He guessed that was his entry point.

"There are targets within the forest with which we have set up for you to take out. The targets are these-"

Kyou snapped her fingers and two assault members brought out a large cardboard cut-out of what was a shadow.

"We have rigged these targets to pop up at random along each of your assigned routes to the rendezvous point. From there, you will all receive additional instructions. Remember, everything you have is a weapon, including your mind. Right! Let's begin!"

Each group of recruits was led a separate direction by accompanying assault members, but for Katsuragi's group, Kyou approached them.

"I will lead you three personally to your starting point. Since you lack numbers, I will get two of my own men to follow you. Ryougi! Osakabe!"

Kyou called out to a group of assault members who seemed to be arming themselves, almost like they were preparing for some sort of attack. Two members walked away from the group to Kyou. One of them Katsuragi recognized. Ryougi Mana, the one who taught him how to shoot. The other was a guy with short buzz cut and constantly had his eyes closed, or extremely narrow.

"This is sergeant Ryougi Mana and sergeant Osakabe. They will be accompanying you three to make up for numbers, but they will not be doing everything for you three. They will only step in if they sense you are doing something wrong or in case of emergency. Got it?"

Katsuragi and the other two nodded their heads.

"Good. Ryougi, Osakabe, make sure your have enough ammunition."

Kyou turned to the two assault members, who nodded their heads.

"Good, follow me."

* * *

Kyou stood by the window of the watch tower, overlooking the large stretch of forest that they had prepared for this exercise. The recruits had already entered the forest and it would not be long before the first gunfire would be heard. Ein walked up from behind, passing Kyou a can of Key Coffee.

"Thanks."

Kyou smiled, before opening the can to take a swing.

"So, how are the preparations for this exercise?"

Ein asked, mainly for formality. He trusted Kyou completely for this, but sometimes he just felt like he needed to make sure she knew what she was doing.

"We have about a hundred targets for the recruits to hit, of course, I would not be counting on them to actually take out all the targets."

"I see."

Ein nodded, taking his coffee as he was satisfied with what Kyou had reported. He knew he could count on her.

"Also, we've released a few 'live' ones in there too."

"I see... PFFT! WHAT? !"

Ein spat out his drink when he realized what Kyou just said.

"Live? ! Live what? !"

"Shadows, of course."

Kyou replied flatly.

"Shadows? Are you mad? Those are still recruits!"

"Don't worry, Ein. I've gotten Yuuko to supply us with tracking devices, and I've gotten every inch of the forest covered."

Kyou pointed to the other watch towers, where assault members were all training sniper rifles into the dense woods.

"... This is still risky. How many did you release in there?"

Kyou raised her eyebrow as she started counting in her head. Not a good sign. Kyou mulled over it for a while, then came a certain realization.

"... I forgot how many."

Really not a good sign.

* * *

Alpha Group

Minamoto Kaaya was not afraid of much. In fact, when she first came to this World, she was rather... out of it, to say the least. That characteristic has, unfortunately, not changed over the past week she had spent here. But while she was outwardly 'in a daze', she was rather sharp on picking up on things. For one, she knew that the one in-charge of this exercise, the demon from hell, Fujibayashi Kyou, was hiding something from the recruits. There was something else within these woods besides popping up targets. Two, she knew that some of the higher-ups were somewhat interested in one of them. The one called Katsuragi. But whether it was something 'about' him, or something 'with' him remains a mystery.

"Oi, Minamoto, hurry up or we'll leave you behind."

Todoroki Wataru shouted, making Kaaya turn her head. Wataru was the one who was most grumpy out of everyone in the recruit group. It seemed like he had a problem with just about anything or anyone. Still, it was true that Kaaya was trailing behind. She gripped her standard issue M-16 and quickened her steps to follow behind. The backpack they were given was not light by any means, but somehow that mysterious 'soup' (read as poison) they had for dinner must have invigorated her. That, or after reviving her strength returned to her and she just doesn't care any more. Probably the latter. The forest was dark and extremely dense, making the entire trek seem almost impossible.

"We're lost, admit it, Todoroki."

Fujita Yoshihiko said, shouldering his rifle.

"I'm not! It's that these trees are in the way!"

Wataru snapped back in his defence. Not a good defence by the way. Kaaya, however, was not bothering to listen in.

"T-there's something moving in the bushes!"

Kuroe Hitomi, the only other girl in the team, said, nervously pointing to the source of the noise. Kaaya also noticed it and it was the reason why she wasn't bothering with the stupid arguments of the guys.

"It's probably one of the senpai, watching us."

Wataru waved it off. Kaaya highly doubted it. She brought up her rifle in the direction. Whatever it was, it was coming closer. Then she saw it. Those dark red eyes. She opened fire.

* * *

Beta Group

"What was that?"

Saya looked up at the sound of gunshots. Did some other group encounter their target already?

"We cannot some other group get to the first point before us! Come on!"

"Ah, wait! Kawaguchi!"

Saya called out futilely at the guy as he dashed off into the forest.

"We can't do anything but to follow. Stick close though, I don't like this feeling that we're being watched."

Motoyama muttered. Saya did not disagree, neither did the rest of the group. At that moment, they heard a loud scream echo from the forest.

"What the-... That was Kawaguchi's voice!"

"Let's hurry!"

Saya nodded and ran with the others. She wasn't liking this at all.

* * *

Delta Group

Katsuragi could hear the screams and gunfire in the distance. There was certainly something wrong with this. He turned to his two team mates, Kusanagi Yamato, whose eyes narrowed as she turned the safety of her rifle off. She was aware of the danger. Mitsuhide Ayane had not changed her stoic expression, but she too had prepared her weapon, slotting a magazine into the rifle. He turned to the two seniors, who did not seem alarmed by the screams.

"There is something out there, isn't there?"

Yamato asked the two seniors. Osakabe simply shrugged, showing a hint that he really did not care at all. As for Ryougi, she was checking her pistol. She slammed a clip into her gun and pulled the slide back to chamber a round before looking at Yamato.

"Osakabe and I are only here as a last resort. Deal with anything you meet by yourselves."

Mana said with a bored tone.

"... Hmph, so much for getting hints."

Yamato muttered, turning her rifle to the direction of the screams.

"I say we investigate the source of the screams. No point in getting to the meeting point if we're the only ones who are ever going to be there. You two in?"

Yamato asked. Ayane nodded silently, drawing her machete and proceeding to cut a path through the thicket.

"What about you, Katsuragi?"

Yamato turned to him. Katsuragi sighed, shaking his head.

"You two are already heading in that direction, what point is there in asking me?"

He smirked, making Yamato smile and nod her head.

"Well, just needed to ask to make sure we're all in this together."

"Too late to ask that now, isn't it?"

Yamato laughed at that, patting Katsuragi on the shoulder.

"Yup, we're all in this, so pulling out is not an option. So, what do you think of this situation?"

Katsuragi thought about it as they followed Ayane down the path she created. There were many variables in this situation, but Katsuragi probably knew it.

"This entire exercise is extremely odd from the beginning. First off, there are eighteen of us, so they could split us up evenly into six groups of three, but they made us go in groups of five."

Katsuragi explained, to which Yamato nodded in agreement.

"That is what I thought."

"Secondly, why would they want us to shoot mere pictures of the Shadows? We could do that at the range or at the simulated building complex next to the range. Even if it was meant to get us to get used to night and forest fighting, I doubt that we would actually be fighting in the forest often, seeing as how the majority of the SSS2 operates on the school grounds."

"Hmm... I never thought about that."

Yamato admitted.

"Another factor is the use of live ammunition. Paint rounds would be sufficient for this form of exercise, unless something 'dangerous' was here with us. And the last one is what Fujibayashi said herself."

Katsuragi said, and Yamato knew what he was talking about.

"She told us to use everything at our disposal to survive. That means that she purposely released something dangerous in these woods."

"Exactly."

Katsuragi nodded.

"We must find the other groups, fast. We may not survive alone."

"That, I have to disagree with."

Katsuragi said, making Yamato raise an eyebrow.

"What? This Fujibayashi person clearly wants to weed out the weakest and probably leave them out. Isn't that the point of this exercise?"

"... No. If that were the case, then why group us in squads of five? It is much easier to get rid of the weaker ones by putting them in small groups. No, groups of five means that we all stand a chance to survive and fight back against anything that is out there. She wants us to survive with our team mates. Isn't that right, Ryougi senpai?"

Katsuragi turned to Mana, who shrugged, but her slight smirk did not escape Yamato and Katsuragi's notice.

"Who knows."

Mana said.

"... I guess that's it then. We'll still need to group up with the rest either way. Which group is the nearest to us?"

Yamato asked, pulling out her map. The entire group halted and grouped together as Katsuragi pulled out his flash light and illuminated the map while pulling a canvas sheet from his bag over the map and the flash-light to prevent any possible dangers from spotting them using the light. Yamato looked over the map, tracing her finger across the map to pin-point their current location.

"We're... here. The closest squad to us should be Charlie, if they followed their route correctly."

Yamato said, tapping the map. Katsuragi looked at the map and studied it for the moment, before looking around for something.

"Mitsuhide, I need to borrow your machete for the moment."

Katsuragi turned to the stoic squad member. She nodded and handed him her blade. Turning back to the map, Katsuragi used the tip of the blade to prick his finger and on the map he traced a line using his blood on the map, marking the different routes made by the four groups, theirs included.

"... If we continue on our original path, we'll reach Charlie squad first, but the gun fire was certainly from the South West point, which is Beta squad and it is the current direction we're heading towards. At this rate, we may reach Beta squad and miss Charlie squad completely."

Katsuragi pointed out, handing the machete back to Ayane with thanks. Yamato nodded.

"I see, so we should change our heading. Right."

Yamato packed away the map and Katsuragi packed away the canvas sheet and flash light. Just as the group set off again, Yamato ripped the bottom part of her singlet, pulling Katsuragi aside.

"Although we were not given pens, and we cannot die. Try not to bleed too voluntarily..."

She muttered, using the torn cloth to wrap around Katsuragi's finger.

"... Why are you doing this?"

He asked.

"... I hate blood. And I certainly hate stupid people who do stupid things."

She replied, trying it tightly.

"... I see. Thanks. But you tied it on the wrong finger."


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Hey all, sorry that I haven't updated. I lost track of the time with all of the new anime this season. Sigh, there is just so many new ones to watch! I also need to build two new desktops. One is for myself so that doesn't count, but the other is for my family to use. Just because I managed to build one desktop does not automatically make me a genius. In fact, that desktop I built for my friend had died after two days. Well, it wasn't my fault, though. His power source was completely incompatible and got fried. Really.

I remember mentioning that there were rumours of a second season for Angel Beats! that was meant to be released this season, but apparently no news from Japan about that or it's release date. Guess I'm free to do whatever I want with my story now.

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 8_

_Bullet Storm_

They pushed forward with their new heading, Katsuragi nursing a new lump on his head. He guessed he deserved that, though for what reason he did not know. They continued on, pushing on through the woods ever wary of any possible danger that may be lurking in the thick forest. Ayane continued to cut through the thick woods without any pause or hint of her being cautious. But Katsuragi knew that she was probably the one who had the sharpest instincts when it came down to things like this. If anyone were able to sense the enemy coming in close, she would know. Katsuragi had already given up the prospect of their group's two senior members to contribute anything at all.

If it was of any consolation, they had at least drawn their weapons. The problem was whether they were going to use those weapons. It wasn't a question since he knew that they would use it eventually. The problem is when. We were getting ever closer to the whatever was out there and we were only trained in the usage of weapons for a couple of hours. That does not make us super soldiers like the seniors. Unlike them, who would not even bat an eye to shoot their own comrades, we would probably be blinking our eyes so fast that it might as well be closed should someone with a stick jumps out and starts to wave and scream incoherent things to us while waving that stick in his hand. Now that was a strange image to think of. Ayane raised her hand and the group halted, crouching low to ground.

"What is it?"

Yamato whispered to the lead girl, who pointed ahead. Though it was dark and everything was nearly pitch black, we could still see somewhat ahead of us. The bushes ahead were moving. Something was there. Katsuragi and Yamato both raised their rifles, pointing ahead. Whatever was ahead of them was beginning to move in their direction. Katsuragi gripped his rifle, finger on the trigger, ready to shoot at the first thing that came out. And apparently the first thing that came out was-

"... Katsuragi?"

Daisuke's face popped out from the bushes with a puzzled look on his face. Katsuragi stared at Daisuke for the moment, then-

BANG

"... What did you do that for?"

Yamato looked over to Katsuragi who held the smoking gun.

"... Not sure, but something about seeing his idiotic face after being in such a tense situation made me want to shoot him at least once."

Katsuragi admitted. Yamato looked at Ayane, then back to Katsuragi, shrugging her shoulders.

"I guess you're right."

"WHO'S RIGHT? ! WHY DID YOU SHOOT ME, KATSURAGI? !"

Daisuke demanded, getting up to his feet.

"Oh, you revive really fast."

Yamato muttered.

"That's not the point!"

"Alright, alright, let's leave it at that for now."

A new voice said. Stepping out of the trees was the rest of group Charlie.

"Charlie group?"

Yamato asked as the newcomers all crouched low in the same area.

"Yup. I'm Kashiide Kazu, the one over there is Hiroshi, Narusaki Yue, Wakase Izumi, and you've already met Daisuke."

The young man leading the group said.

"Yamato, Ayane, and Katsuragi."

Yamato said as well. Ayane did not seem to seem bother getting herself into the conversation, while Katsuragi gave a curt nod.

"Where do we stand as of now?"

Kazu asked.

"We were heading towards your group to better our chances. Now that we are grouped up, we can head either towards Beta group, or towards the target point."

Yamato replied, taking out her map to point at the places which Katsuragi had marked out earlier with his blood.

"Yue, what's your take?"

Kazu turned to the girl from his group.

"Well, I would recommend that we group up with the others, since whatever is attacking Beta group must surely be dangerous enough. We can still hear their fighting up till now."

Yue noted, pointing up where those gunshots were still quite audible.

"But... There is something else."

Yue added, rubbing her chin in thought.

"Something else?"

Yamato asked, puzzled and concerned by what the other girl had said.

"... Because of the way the groups are dispersed, it would not be odd for whatever that attacked Beta group to attack Alpha group as well. Not only that, but by tracking the sounds, we can tell that both Beta and Alpha groups are on the move while trying to fight off their attackers."

Katsuragi explained, understanding what Yue had thought of. Yue smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Exactly."

"So what do you two recommend?"

Kazu asked.

"The best course of action would be heading towards the objective point. We have grouped up with another group, thus boosting our numbers and chances of going against whatever is out there. The objective point is a clearing, thus letting us have an even footing against our enemy compared to if we engage them in this thick forest."

Katsuragi said, pointing to the objective on the map.

"I see... Looks like we have two strategists in our group."

Yamato smirked, folding the map and keeping it in her bag.

"And two leaders."

Hiroshi added, pointing to Kazu and Yamato.

"Well, add in our point men and we have ourselves a military squad."

"... Too bad we have an idiot here."

* * *

The two groups made their way to the rendezvous point, which was a small clearing in this dense forest with a small shed. It may not seem much to others, but to the recruits, it was like seeing Nirvana. Ayane and Hiroshi took point, checking the interior of the shed before signalling the others that it was safe. Soon the group were safely holed up inside the shed. It was a small shed and there wasn't much space left for moving about once everyone was inside. Most likely if another group arrived, they would not be able to get into this shed. The shed contained a table with a small bag filled with canned food and drinks, as well as a piece of paper. Yamato took the paper and unfolded it to read.

"... Looks like we're in trouble."

She said, passing the paper to Kazu, who read it and sighed, shaking his head in disbelief.

"This is unbelievable! This is outrageous!"

Katsuragi looked from the window to Yamato, who handed him the paper.

"What do you think of this?"

She asked. Katsuragi looked at the paper and all it said was 'Good Luck'. Katsuragi could only laugh at that. Good luck? Was that all that was written? No wonder Kazu was pissed.

"So?"

Yamato asked, clearly not turning to the self-appointed leader of Charlie group. Katsuragi looked at the paper once more and then to the bag of supplies. Were they meant to stay here for some time? That was a clear possibility. He glanced over to the senior members, but the two of them did not seem fazed by any of this. They probably went through something similar, or that they were beyond caring about anything. Whichever it was, right now Katsuragi could only deduce that this was all still part of the training exercise, though quite crazy.

"I believe that we are meant to eliminate the threats out there."

Katsuragi deduced, seeing as how that was the only explanation behind this note.

"... I see."

Yamato sighed, unslinging her rifle and sitting down on the floor of the shed.

"So this exercise will not end unless we kill whatever is out there."

"Most likely there are a few 'Shadows' out there. We should assume that there would be at least eight."

Katsuragi explained.

"Eight? Why eight?"

Daisuke wondered. Probably his very first productive question since this exercise began.

"This exercise isn't meant to kill us, but rather to make sure we are used to fighting. I explained to my team members before that if Fujibayashi-san wanted to kill us, she would have split us up into smaller groups, but she did not. She gave us each a good chance to survive if we work together. Plus, the words she said before this began also shows that she is trying to make sure we survive. I would suggest that if she wanted to make us used to fighting, she would get us to fight a Shadow."

Katsuragi explained.

"So why eight? That makes two per group."

"Because one Shadow can be easily overcome by a group of armed students, such as ourselves even if we lack training. Two, on the other hand, forces us to be on our toes and to switch between offensive and defensive tactics when fighting the enemy. At least that is what I would do."

"So you have no proof? !"

Kazu suddenly exploded in anger.

"It's better than having nothing."

Yamato said, closing her eyes to rest.

"This is crazy. This is obviously some stupid, sick game of theirs. No more, I say. I say we leave."

Kazu decided.

"Leaving now would only cause you to be open to attacks."

Yamato countered.

"So what, you're suggesting that we stay holed up in here and wait for whatever is out there to come for us?"

"... It is better than chasing after death."

She replied, opening one eye to Kazu. Kazu was fuming with anger, obviously not agreeing with Yamato's idea.

"This is stupid. I would rather go out and try to get to safety rather than staying here. I'm out of here. Come on guys."

Kazu grabbed his rifle to leave. Katsuragi wanted to stop him but Yamato pulled him back, merely shaking her head before stifling a yawn. Charlie group grabbed half of the supplies and left, but Daisuke remained.

"... Shouldn't you be going as well?"

Katsuragi asked, to which Daisuke merely smirked.

"I know when to follow a person and when not to. Kazu has obviously lost his cool. Following him would be suicide. Besides, I like having a shelter over my head."

Daisuke answered. Katsuragi could not help but smile. He turned to Yamato, but she simply took her training cap and pulled its visor to cover her eyes.

"Do what you wish. Wake me up when something happens."

She muttered before falling asleep. Katsuragi saw that Ayane had also dozed off. He was tired as well, but he guessed he could still go on. He looked to the two seniors, who were using this rest to check their weapons. Katsuragi walked over to the window and watched Charlie squad head off back into the dense forest. It was strange why they follow Kazu when his idea seemed crazy. But maybe he should question why he was following Yamato, and also why would anyone follow a leader this much. Charisma? Fear? Or was it something else? Katsuragi did not know.

"Say, do you really think that there would be two of those Shadows for each group?"

Daisuke asked, opening a can of food, only to find it filled with peaches in over sweet syrup. Better than nothing.

"... It is only a theory. If there was only one Shadow in these woods, then Alpha and Beta group would not be encountering that much trouble."

"Hmm... So that means that there is at least two."

Daisuke said as he ate a peach while offering some to Katsuragi.

"... Like I said, at least eight."

Katsuragi said, reaching over and taking a peach for himself.

"... This place has the best vantage for us. We can easily see any enemy coming towards us from all direction, and we also have a clear line to shoot them. It is best in a case like this, where we do not know the enemy's strength nor their numbers, to wait here for them to come to us."

"And you guys knew this but did not tell Kazu."

Daisuke noted, making Katsuragi smile.

"I guess we're all selfish in our own way."

* * *

"Oi, wake up, Katsuragi, wake up."

He was shook awake and slowly stirred. Opening his eyes, he saw Yamato in front of him, in one hand having an open can of food.

"Wha-... what time is it?"

He asked, seeing as how there was light pouring into the shed.

"Around eight in the morning. As we thought, they are not ending this exercise until we get rid of all the Shadows."

Yamato offered a hand to Katsuragi. He took it and she pulled him up to his feet.

"Want some?"

She offered her tin of food. Inside were inari sushi skins. Bean curd skins for breakfast. That was odd.

"Too bad we don't have any rice."

Daisuke muttered, chewing on one piece himself. Katsuragi took a piece and tossed it into his mouth. Salty.

"Why don't you go out and find some?"

Yamato turned to Daisuke.

"What am I, a dog?"

"Close to one."

"That's harsh."

Katsuragi took a peek outside the window. So far nothing was out there. Gun fire was still heard in the forest, though it wasn't as intense as the night before. Some shots, then silence, before more shots. The sound was scattered and random.

"There may be some people who were separated from their groups. Hopefully they know which direction they are heading towards."

Yamato noted, leaning against the wall of the shed while checking her rifle.

"We could fire up a flare."

Daisuke offered.

"That would attract those monsters as well."

Katsuragi said.

"Well, this exercise isn't going to end unless we kill them all, right? Besides, we haven't fired a single shot throughout this entire time... Well, except for you."

Yamato noted that Katsuragi had fired one shot, at Daisuke. But one round wasn't actually much in the large picture, so it wasn't really counted.

"So, shall we set off the flares? We may be getting busy real soon after that, though. You guys sure you want to do this?"

Yamato looked at the others, besides the seniors who could not be bothered by anything as usual. Ayane merely nodded, her grip on her blade tightening.

"We've rested for the night and had our fill of food. If you want to set it off with a bang, now is a good time."

Daisuke nodded. All eyes turned to Katsuragi, who felt rather pressure by this. He closed his eyes in thought as he weighed the options. Signalling the flares is the obvious choice to do. It would attract all of the other squads in the area to this place, as well as bringing all enemies into the open. But were they ready? Only Daisuke and Yamato had actual experience in fighting Shadows, though according to Yamato, the seniors did all of the work while they were asked to stand behind.

So Daisuke's showing off account of him defeating Shadows was completely false. Thus no one actually had fought a Shadow before. Were they really ready? But if they wait any longer, they run the risk of being stuck here with their food stock dwindling away. No, now was the time. Daisuke was right. After resting for one night, they were as ready as they would ever be. Any longer and the feeling of mental and emotional fatigue would take over. Morale would drop as the days go by. Fight now, or lose by attrition. It was a clear decision to make.

"... Let's light it up then."

* * *

Panting, Saya leaned against the tree she took cover behind. She looked around the tree, spotting no one. For now, she had shaken off her pursuers. Shadows. They weren't told of Shadows appearing in this exercise! Was this some sort of hellish game of these people? To filter out those who are too weak? This was crazy! Weren't they all accepted into the organization already?

"... 'Exercise' my ass. This is battle royal all over again."

Saya muttered, checking her ammunitions level. Down to one clip. Spending one entire night fighting those things had drained her both physically and mentally. She had been separated from the rest of her group and had wandered in the thick forest on her own for the past few hours. She had dropped her back pack earlier to escape a Shadow when it grabbed onto it to hold her down. Hungry, tired, injured and low on supplies. Not a good combination. Oh, and not to forget lost.

"... Out of the fire and into the inferno."

She muttered to no one in particular, looking up into the sky.

"... I wonder if... if I'll ever meet Kanako again... Tell her I'm sorry... Then again I wouldn't think so. I'm the one who's dead. Not her."

Saya laughed weakly at that realization. She remembered that incident, but nothing else. Remembering the pain of her life rather than her actual existence.

"I guess that's karma. I wonder if it's my own fate to face punishment here and just die-... hmm?"

Saya then noticed something flying up into the air. Something bright. A flare? At first, Saya was puzzled. Then a strange sense of hope filled her chest. There was still someone out there.

"... I guess I'll take that as a sign."

She smirked, slotting her last clip into her rifle.

"Some one still needs my help. Sorry Kanako, but I'll have to deal with your ghost later... though you aren't dead and I'm the ghost."

* * *

Slamming a fresh clip into his rifle, Katsuragi took in a deep breath, before getting up from his cover and sticking his rifle out of the window of the shed he and his group took cover in, training his sights onto the first Shadow in his view. He squeezed the trigger and unleashed hot lead into the creature's body. The creature stumbled backwards and fell to the ground, disappearing into dark smoke. But where it was defeated, another two emerged from the trees to replace it.

"This isn't just eight any more, Katsuragi!"

Yamato shouted, ducking back under cover to reload. Katsuragi did not want to admit it, but she was right. There wasn't just eight. So far he counted twenty enemies they felled. It was endless.

"And where are those idiots! They should have seen the flare and heard all of this noise!"

Yamato was clearly not happy that so far no other team has made any appearance while they continued to fight on for almost an hour. Katsuragi looked towards the two seniors, who had their weapons out and ready to be used, but they still stood by the side, silently watching. A test. This was all just a test. A test that may end horribly too.

"Keep firing!"

Yamato shouted, standing back on her feet to shoot at more enemies.

"I'm nearly out!"

Daisuke shouted. Yamato grabbed a bag and tossed it over to him. In it were additional ammunitions that was together with the food supplies. Hidden from view thus Kazu did not spot them and merely assumed that it only contained food.

"Don't give excuses! Just shoot!"

"You don't need to tell me twice!"

Daisuke grunted, pulling himself up and firing more rounds.

"In-coming!"

Yamato suddenly shouted, jumping away from the window. Katsuragi barely had time to look as a giant black mass bounded through the window. A Shadow had rushed at them, managing to get by the hail storm of bullets and into the shed. The two seniors aimed their weapons at the Shadow, ready to fire, but Ayane suddenly dashed across. She held her machete in a back-hand manner, dragging it across the Shadow as she flew past.

Turning around, she brought the blade across the creature several times before twirling the blade in her hand and stabbing it into the creature's body. Ayane then jumped into the air, turning her body in the air as she brought her right boot straight at the blade handle. Her kick pushed the blade further into the creature as well as pushed the Shadow back. It was slammed against the wall by the force and disappeared, Ayane's machete clattering to the floor. Katsuragi and Daisuke stared in disbelief at what just happened. Ayane calmly walked over and picked up her blade, swinging it down once as though she was trying to shake off blood that wasn't there, before sheathing it.

"Stop gawking and more shooting! Keep staring and I'll make sure you two would lack eyes to see anything!"

Yamato shouted at them, shaking them from their stupor. The two of them looked to each other before they got back to their feet and resumed firing at the enemies. Whilst he pulled the trigger at the enemies, Katsuragi's mind went back a few things. Why was he here? Why was he fighting? Was this how it was going to be from now on? An endless war? Somewhere, in the back of his head, he had a strange nagging feeling that it wasn't going to be endless. All of this would end.

_'By your hand.'_

* * *

"... Aicha, this is getting a little bad."

Kyou muttered, staring at the scene in the exercise forest with her binoculars.

"'A little'? What do you mean 'a little'? ! This is completely out of hand!"

One of her squad leaders shouted.

"He's right, Major. This is a little too much."

Another said. Her squad leaders were all nodding and agreeing with each other. Kyou would not deny that fact. She knew this was troublesome and will only get worse if left on its own. Who knew that the Shadows could split themselves up like bacteria? Each clone had a third of the original's strength, thus able to be defeated easily by a few rounds. But the problem lay with the original few. They were still out there somewhere, spewing out an army of Shadows like they were spawning nests for some alien breed who could destroy any enemy base within the first five minutes of a match using a rush tactic and-... No, Kyou's thinking was getting out of hand again. She had to deal with this fast or else the recruits would not last.

"... My snipers are ready..."

A voice said from behind. Kyou turned around and saw Suou leaning against the wall of the watch tower, her long cloak that covered her body could not hide her ridiculously large rifle and her hood could not hide that dark malice within her eyes. Kyou was hesitant to use the snipers for two reasons. One was that she received reports that the Angels were going to launch another attack. Letting the snipers use their large anti-tank rifles would cause more than enough noise to attract every single Shadow and Angel in the region to this place. The second reason was even more fundamental. The tracking device Yuuko gave her did not work. Kyou should have known that Yuuko was never reliable for anything like this. Without the tracking devices, no one knew where the Shadows were.

"... Just give me the word."

Suou said again. Kyou narrowed her eyes at the sniper leader.

"No, we cannot risk it."

"... Your call."

Suou said, pushing off from the wall and walking out of the tower.

"... That Ryusei person. Can never trust her."

One of her squad leaders muttered.

"That's 'Captain' Ryusei to you guys."

Kyou sighed, turning back to the situation at hand after reminding her men. But she had to agree, Suou was a cold and detached character. She and her group of snipers could easily blend in with Division six if they wanted to. The only reason they haven't is because the Assault division still needs to hold onto such a group for use in its operations. Kyou sighed, shaking her head as she tried to think of a solution to the problem at hand. What Suou suggested was probably the only viable option, though Kyou did not want to use it. Shooting the recruits themselves. Although the Shadows could not be tracked, the recruits could. The SSS2 had a lot of people who were extremely sensitive to sensing human souls, Tanaka being the one with most experience. By shooting the recruits, they would be dead and revive within a few hours. That could give the assault division to conduct a rather unethical operation, codenamed: Vengeance Storm. This operation was... the last solution to a Shadow infestation. To sum it up, if this operation was used, no one would be alive. Everyone, everything in the school and the probably the entire afterlife World would be dead. Of course they would all revive, but the death was the unethical part. Not to mention the really scary possibility of the entire Afterlife going hay-wire and end up spewing dragons or something.

"... Sigh, what other alternatives to we have?"

Kyou looked to squad leaders, but no one spoke up. No one, until-

"Allow this one to undertake this mission."

Kyou turned around and saw a rather large man standing there. Since when did he appear?

"... Houiin Hideou."

Kyou muttered. This man was always weird, even for SSS2 standards. His 'methods' were... questionable but even she could not doubt his success rate. The rising star within the ranks of the Assault division, part of the Shock Troop squad 'Edge'. If it was him, maybe he could deal with this problem.

"Is Reiji aware of your involvement?"

She asked. The leader of the Shock Troops squad was a rather strict guy, relentless in training his group to be the best. Some even call him 'the next Fujibayashi', something she really doesn't appreciate, but she had to admit that the crazy training they go through was producing results. The Shock Troops of the Assault division are a collection of some of the strongest fighters in the Assault division. Either because Yuki had not been able to secure them for her Elite Wolf group, or because their abilities only formed after they had trained hard. Usually called in for the dangerous jobs or for fast deployment, these guys could move fast, be anywhere and end the conflict faster than it would take for her own unit to get ready. The Shock Troops Edge, the secret card of the Assault division. Unlike the Commandos, who were acting directly under Ein even though they have their own squad leader, the Shock Troops use their own weapons for every battle, never relying on others. A large majority of them use melee weapons with occasional side arms, using tactics that would even leave Kou calling them crazy. This one though, Houiin Hideou, was a whole different kind of crazy.

"Yes, the Captain has agreed to let this one undertake this mission and he sends his sincere regards."

Hideou replied in an extremely polite manner. It was unnerving to see this large and muscular man be so humble and polite. He looked almost like a giant beast that was dragged down from a mountain with raw meat or something. Just how did the fitters manage to get clothes big enough for him anyway?

"... Just how are you going to attempt to find the Shadows that even our snipers are unable to?"

Kyou asked, crossing her arms. Hideou calmly stuck his hands into his pocket and pulled out metal gauntlets. He put on his gauntlets and punched his fist together. They sent a large shock wave that made everything in the room unstable.

"This one is a member of Edge, the holy sword of the SSS2. This one's soul shall be the guiding light upon which injustice shall quiver in fear from. None shall escape this one's path to redemption."


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Sorry for the delay, had a few issues to work out. By June, I will be putting all my stories on temporary hiatus due to mandatory military service. I will be forced from a computer for at least a month so i will try to put out as much chapters as i can before i enter.

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Life For_

_Operation 9_

_Fists of Fury_

It was getting close now, the number of Shadows that were getting through the fire that they were putting through was increasing. However their spirits were not down as they knew that they still had hope. Their plan to use the flares worked in attracting their comrades. Members of both Beta group and Charlie had found the clearing and ran over to aid them. According to Yue, who was the first of Charlie squad to return to the shed, shortly after Kazu led his group back into the forest, they came across a large Shadow that seemed to be spawning clones of itself. They were ambushed by the Shadows and forced to scatter. Only Hiroshi and Yue made it back to the shed, and only with the guidance of the flare.

Izumi and Kazu were still missing. Beta squad faired better, having all but one member still missing, Naoyuki. The de facto leader of Delta squad, Kusanagi Yamato, was surprised at how quickly the individual members of the other groups quickly came here and managed to grasp the situation, integrating themselves into the shed's defence. Of those who came, Yamato took particular note of a few. Beta squad's Motoyama Rei was the first to arrive, using his backpack to knock two Shadows off their feet before emptying his cartridge into a third. He used the stock of his rifle to knock a Shadow into another, forcing the two the stumble back before he fired into them. He was certainly a capable fighter. Another one to take note was Beta squad's Saya. She arrived with only a rifle in hand but her shots were well trained at. Her flexibility to dodge Shadow attacks, as well as acrobatic skills to of jumping out to get across to the shed safely, she had a good throw arm as well when she drew a knife she took from the cafeteria from her boot and threw it at a Shadow. It was like she was used to fighting already.

"We're running out of ammunition."

Wakamoto Souichirou muttered, grabbing the of bag of rifle clips and reached inside to grab one. Now was the time when the number of Shadows coming out would die down. From what Charlie squad reported, there are Shadows that were 'spawning' smaller clones of themselves. The seniors seemed baffled by this news, but they did not do anything. But these 'spawns' were easier to kill than their parent, as Yamato recalls back to the battle under the school in Guild. Each Shadow was meant to take on a full clip or two to die. These spawns were going down in mere single shots. But unless they deal with those larger Shadows, this battle would never end. They were also running out of ammunition with the number of people in the shed using their guns. With this new knowledge, Yamato knew what had to be done.

The end of this exercise was in sight and it brought a new sense of vigour to the group. But Yamato knew of the problem. Probably Katsuragi and Yue both knew of the problem as well. Where could they find these larger Shadows? The forest was still extremely thick and getting lost in there would be a given. The details given by those who had seen them were sketchy at best, and did not give even the slightest hint as to where they might be. In short, they were unable to move from this location, but it was a start nonetheless. It gave them hope and Yamato knew that morale was an important factor in battle, any sort of battle.

"We could send out scouts to find those Spawners, then mark them with a flare."

Katsuragi suggested. A good idea, but it was risky. Yamato mulled over her map once more. The Spawners were mainly stationary as members of Charlie squad had claimed. That would mean that they were within areas that were not explored by the groups. Yamato took a marker she found from the supply bag and marked on her map the routes taken by the squads. Crossing out some areas that were deemed down right impossible, then marking all possible paths that the individual members took to get to this shed. Yamato sat back, looking at the markings on her map. Ten possible areas to check and one was relatively close. Yamato looked at the ammunition bag. They were running out of clips, so should she take the gamble?

"E-enemy attack!"

Yamato looked up and cursed under her breath. Here comes another wave. Yamato ran to the window, and found to her horror that a large Shadow was making its way towards the shed. About half the size larger than the usual Shadow, this one was surrounded by smaller, normal sized Shadows.

"So that's a spawner."

Yamato muttered.

"All guns, concentrate fire on the spawner!"

Yamato ordered, getting everyone to positions.

"Melee fighters, prevent any of those smaller ones from getting close to this shed!"

Yamato directed the battle as though she had experience in it, though in truth she was at her wit's end with this. You cannot just pick up a high school girl and drop her into a battle zone and expect her to become a warrior overnight. Does not work in life, or in death. Everything Yamato was doing was on the fly. Instincts pushing her to survive. She will not go down here. Not now. Not until she had her revenge. The concentrated fire was proved to be effective as it wasn't long before the spawner Shadow fell to the ground and disappeared.

"Yes! We did it!"

Cheers from the others made Yamato slightly relieved. But that feeling was short-lived as more Spawners burst through the forest into the clearing.

"Spawners out in the open!"

"Fire at those closest to you only!"

This was a nightmare come true. The Shadows were pushing through extremely hard, with four of those Spawners and their little clones rushing for the shed.

"We can't hold out!"

"You will."

A voice said. Yamato was about to turn to see who spoke but a pistol shoved its way just past her cheek, firing a few rounds out. Each round exploded into a ball of fire, forcing the Shadows back. Yamato looked at the wielder of the pistol, and saw that Ryougi Mana, the senior who followed them in Delta squad, finally making a move. Her pistol was a large, revolver type of gun. But the problem of it was the sheer size of the pistol. The chambers of the rounds were huge, and the rounds were equally large. This wasn't a pistol, but it could be called a miniature grenade launcher. Mana loaded more rounds into her gun before snapping the cylinder back before taking aim once more. Mana pulled the trigger with one hand, the kick-back from the gun making her hand fly up but Mana had clear control over it as she quickly brought it down to fire again. Yamato noted that this was, in fact, not Mana's side arm. Ryougi Mana had brought along this gun even though Kyou had told her and her partner to only bring along side-arms

"Mana, I didn't know you brought that along."

Osakabe, her partner, admitted, taking out his side arm and firing a few shots out of a window at the Shadows.

"I'm always prepared."

Mana answered simply, swinging the cylinder from the large pistol out to load it again. It only carried six rounds and the rate Mana was using it, Yamato had to guess she was either trigger happy or had a lot of bullets.

"You know the Major isn't going to be happy about it."

Osakabe added, suddenly fishing out what appeared to be a grenade. Mana merely smirked.

"Let's make sure she will not find out. But this makes us even."

Osakabe smiled back before pulling the pin from the grenade and tossing the grenade out of the window. Within moments the grenade exploded, killing Shadows in the area. These two were extremely calm, not to mention extremely good at this. Yamato could not believe that this was what the SSS2 was.

"Recruit, this fight isn't over."

Yamato turned and saw Mana standing over her, offering her hand.

"Get to your feet and fight. This is what we do. This is what we face. You have already chosen to walk this path of blood and there is no return. Stand and fight, Kusanagi Yamato."

Yamato blinked and stared. Stand and fight. It was the only way she had left. Kill or be killed. Survival of the strongest. Yamato did not want to die, did not want to disappear. She will survive. Not matter what. She took the hand, to which Mana smiled.

"Hope you are not regretting this."

Mana said, pulling Yamato to her feet.

"I already am... but it's too late to regret anything now."

Yamato replied, turning her attention to the field. She will survive this.

"Mark Spawners with flares! We'll make them confused even if it only lasts a short while!"

Yamato ordered and immediately some members took out the flares from their backpacks, igniting them and tossing them out like grenades. The moment the flares landed by the Spawners, the Shadows were thrown into confusion, charging at their own Spawners.

"So, rather than using grenades, use the flares that attract Shadows instead. Interesting."

Mana smiled.

"That girl is good. She would make an excellent squad leader."

Osakabe said, walking over to Mana as the recruits managed to turn the tide of the battle to their favour.

"Forget about it. Yuki would take her to become a Wolf."

"That is the most likely scenario... Do you feel that?"

Osakabe asked, suddenly looking out of the window as though he smelt something. Mana closed her eyes and sighed, shaking her head.

"... Muscle brain is here."

The moment Mana said that, a large explosion came from just beyond the edge of the clearing.

"Wha-"

"_'Chou-dai Hyaka Shougan'_!"

What seemed to be a beam of light ripped through the air, tearing the ground as it flew across through the clearing and completely destroying the Shadows in the area. The recruits were clearly in shock, some even unable to stand. Stepping out into the clearing, was a large man, probably two heads taller than Tanaka. Sporting two metal gauntlets, he walked calmly into the battlefield as though nothing around him could phase him. For that brief moment, the thought of a certain 'fist' of a certain direction came to mind of everyone. A group of Shadows charged at him in retaliation, but he simply stood his ground, taking a deep breath in as he reared his fist back.

"... _Ougi_: **_SHOUMETSU-HA!_**"

He threw his punch forward, and a large explosion erupted, causing all Shadows to disintegrate immediately. What was left was a large crater that could fill up with an entire swimming pool's worth of water.

"Wha- what was that? !"

Daisuke finally broke the silence in the shed. Mana sighed and shook her head while muttering 'idiot'. The large man closed his eyes and brought his hand to his chin as he seemed to be in deep thought about something.

"Hmm... _Shoumetsu-ha_ doesn't have that much of an impact... Too broad of a name for something that only affects a small area."

He muttered, quite loudly as well.

"...Huh?"

Everyone in the shed was simply confused by what he said.

"That is Houiin Hideou. One of the strongest members of the Assault squad's shock troops, Edge."

Mana explained, stepping forward with a scowl on her face.

"He's stupidly strong, almost to the point of being a cheat character. He could flatten the school with one punch, that is how strong he is. But he is an idiot beyond compare."

"You mean... all of that shouting?"

Yamato asked.

"Exactly. That idiot thinks that every attack he makes has to have a name, like this is some sort of movie or cartoon. Most of the names have no meaning, and sometimes bordering down-right stupid- ah, he's going to do it again."

Mana pointed to where Hideou was raising his hands up into the air and bringing them down through a wide arc. Like some sort of Chinese martial artist channelling chi or energy, he waved his hands about, almost like a bird would. But it was clear that his powers were great, quite visibly as the ground around him started to crack under pressure.

"Haa... **ETERNAL**-"

He struck a pose.

"**SUPER**-"

He struck another pose.

"**INCREDIBLE**-"

He did flexing pose.

"**NIGHT**-"

He did another flexing pose with a smile.

"**F.E.V.E.R!**"

He shot his hands out and caused the entire ground around him to explode, creating another crater which some Shadows fell into.

"Justice always wins!"

He shouted, striking a victory pose not unlike those from a power ranger show.

"Ah... a real idiot."

Yamato muttered.

"See? What did I tell you."

Mana replied, closing her eyes in disappointment. Once again, Hideou closed his eyes in thought.

"Hmm... doesn't have that much of an impact, though it would be good to teach my apprentice, Furuichi. Yes, I should name it 'Furuichi Eternal Super Incredible Night Dragon Fever'. It will suit him well!"

"He added another word to that move."

Katsuragi noted, though that was not the point.

"By the way, Furuichi is a sergeant who is not his apprentice, but just so happens to be unable to refuse Hideou when this mountain of muscles asks him to follow. Got to feel sorry for that kid."

Osakabe noted.

"Mu mu, this one senses more enemies to vanquish."

Hideou turns to face on an onslaught of Shadows all rushing at him. He stood there, tucking his hands by his side as he closed his eyes to take a deep breath in.

"... _Haaaaaa_... **KATSU**!"

Hideou gave out a shout so loud and so intense that his uniform ripped into shreds, as well as the ground buckling under pressure. It was then revealed that all this powerful fighter was wearing after this clothes were torn was-

"... Fundoushi?"

Yamato had her mouth agape in shock. Yes, Houiin Hideou was wearing nothing but a mere loincloth under his clothes that had the large character for 'spirit' printed on it. But it was now clear just what sort of body this powerful fighter had. With rippling muscles that seemed to have its own muscles built on them, he was probably the clear definition of 'muscle mountain'. In truth, it was quite sickening to look at.

"Not enough! Not enough you evil spirits! Power lies within the BASICS!"

Hideou punched forward, sending a beam of some sorts tearing through the enemy ranks.

"**BASIC KICK!**"

He threw a punch instead.

"**SUPER LEFT HOOK!**"

He did a right hook. And what happened to the basics?

"**DIVINE FIST!**"

He grabbed a shadow and did a German suplex on it.

"He's really messing up the names, isn't he?"

Katsuragi noted rather unnecessarily.

"That's not the point."

Yamato replied, turning her eyes from the rather offensive scene. She knew that with the appearance of this senpai, this exercise would not be over.

"Since Hideou is here, we can assume that this exercise has been terminated. However, as much as Hideou is powerful, even he would be unable to finish off all of the Shadows. He tends to miss quite a whole lot of them once he rips his uniforms."

Mana explained, loading her pistol while her eyes seemed to indicate a strong urge to shoot that muscle bound maniac outside the shed.

"Once he begins his shirt ripping, he becomes blind all everything until he runs out of energy, which would be in an hour. We shall use this this time to search out the remaining Spawners. Yamato, you will stay here until the rescue team arrives. Osakabe and I will take care of the remaining spawners."

Yamato wanted to argue, but knew that the remaining recruits would be too tired to go out for another battle. The best course of action would be stay here. But Yamato was still worried.

"Sorry to intrude, senpai, but I still worry about Alpha squad and the remaining missing team members."

"Your fears are rightfully justified, but this is already beyond your abilities and the scope of this exercise. You recruits will stand down. That is an order."

Mana said before nodding to Osakabe. The two seniors then left the shed, running across the clearing and disappearing into the woods. Yamato sighed, slumping to the ground. It's been a tiring day and she was still conflicted about not being able to head out. But what Mana said was right, this was already way beyond what this exercise was meant to be. It was best to leave it to the seniors. The loud shouts and explosions from outside made by Hideou could still be heard, making Yamato wonder if that guy would every cool off. Was this how she was going to continue living? In this World of Purgatory? To fight and fight till the end of time? She knew that within her heart, her revenge would still linger, that her anger will continue to anchor her here. Until she satisfies this unbearable anguish, she would be here, fighting. She knew that it would be best to simply forget about it, but she couldn't. It wasn't that simple. It never was.

* * *

The exercise was officially cancelled with the sound of a siren about two hours after the muscle bound Hideou cooled off. The recruits were quite surprised to see that after cooling off, Hideou literally just collapsed onto the floor and started to sleep. So much for the powerful fist of a certain direction. Of course, he had cooled off long after he finished off the Shadows in the clearing. For the rest of the time, which was approximately twenty minutes, he just started shouting random gibberish to no one in particular, blasting his aura around the place and creating giant craters in the clearing. At one point, his gibberish words that were meant to be 'skill names' soon became weird roaring sounds that had no recognizable words in them. It went from shouts like:

"Toutestu-Kouma-ken!"

To something like:

"! # $ % ^& * "

Talk about a berserker. Katsuragi and the others were gathered outside the shed by a large squad of Assault division members, all looking extremely professional. And for good reason. These were members of the main squad of the 'War Boars', led personally by Fujibayashi Kyou. The said leader walked towards the recruits, her eyes surveying the area around the shed and the tired looks of the recruits. Alpha squad was escorted out of the woods and into the clearing, as well as the remaining missing members, having been found by the assault members. Kyou nodded and turned her attention to the recruits as her members scattered around the clearing to finish up any left over Shadows and to detail the situation.

"All of you have done well. Well beyond my expectations and beyond the expectations by the division heads. What happened here was an accident, whether you choose to believe it or not is up to you. For now, all of you have passed this portion of the training. Report back to the barracks and rest. Tomorrow will be more training."

Kyou announced, earning some groans from the recruits. Normally Kyou would throw a few books at them, but she would let them complain for now. They earned it. Besides, she needed to confront someone. Tanaka appeared and brought the recruits back to the barracks. As for Kyou, she stayed behind, overseeing her squad sorting through the damage. As she watched five members try to drag Hideou out of a hole, she sened the approach of several people behind her. She did not need to turn around to know who they were. They merely pressence was unmistakenable.

"I heard you have a new type of shadow here."

A familiar voice spoke up from behind.

"Ah, damn right. Your group had 'no idea' about this, am i right?"

Kyou asked sarcastically, turning around to face the young looking girl standing there with four subordinates, each carrying a large case. The young girl had light blue hair with a deep blue pair of eyes that just seemed to make Kyou extremely irritated. Of all people from 'that' division to come down here to harrass her, it had to be this one. The second in command of the Intelligence division-

"Testarossa Iris. What do you want this time?"

Kyou narrowed her eyes at the doll-faced vice commander of the intelligence division, who merely smirked.

"Why, i'm here to collect samples of this new shadow, of course."

"Don't joke around, Testarossa, your division knew about this new type of Shadow."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Major Fujibayashi-"

Before Iris could finish her sentence, Kyou reached out and grabbed the vice commander of the intelligence division by the collar, using her strength to pull Iris close. Kyou was fuming mad and did not bother to hide that fiery emotion at all.

"DON'T FUCK WITH ME! THESE SHADOWS WERE FROM YOUR DIVISION! HOW COULD YOU NOT KNOW ABOUT THEM? !"

Kyou shouted so loudly that everyone stopped what they were doing to look on. Iris narrowed her eyes at Kyou, unfazed by Kyou's outburst.

"Is this how Assault members treat others? How barbaric as usual."

"WHY YOU-"

Iris grabbed Kyou's wrist, forcing the latter to let go. Iris commanded a lot of power, and her icy glare was said to freeze even the most short tempered members of the SSS2. Kyou glared at her, finally backing off, though unwillingly.

"As for your Shadow, we did not know about their cloning capabilities. Whether you accept that as the truth is up to you. What we did know was that they were altered by the Angel Player program by someone shortly before we captured them. However tests showed no abnormal abilities besides having their physical size enlarged to that of a gorilla."  
Iris explained, straightening her collar and dusting her sleeves.

"Angel Program? They were altered?"

"Yes, and before you go asking, we have yet to discover who altered them. But clearly this isn't the work of an Angel."  
Iris said, pulling out a bunch of papers and handed them to Kyou, who grudgingly took them and flipped through the stack.

"This is..."

Kyou's eyes widened as she realized what was written on this report.

"Yes, it is. While this is normally our jurisdiction, Yuki has forced us to cooperate with every other division to find the culprit."

"'Your jurisdiction' my ass. If this is true, it would go straight to division six."

Kyou said, tapping the report.

"... True, but it has not yet been established who did it. If it is truly one of our own who is the traitor, we, the intelligence division, shall deal with it in our own fashion."

"Traitors are meant to be dealt with by division six. There would not be any exception to this-"

"'Unless at least three leaders have agreed upon this decision'. I've read the ruling before, Fujibayashi. Here is the validation."

Iris produced another piece of paper, on it were three signatures.

"... Your own leader, Yuuko and... Kou?"

Kyou stared at the signature, completely shocked at what she was seeing. Kurogane Kou, the leader of the sixth division, gave her authorization for this?

"She is still a division leader, if i remember correctly. There is nothing wrong with her being able to give her approval."

Iris said, taking the approval letter back. Kyou narrowed her eyes at Iris, not liking this one bit.

"... Fine, so you will be wanting every division to help with this investigation and hand the culprit over to you. Am i right?"

Kyou raised an eyebrow at Iris, who merely nodded.

"That is correct. Now, i have to collect the remains of these 'spawner' Shadows, as your recruits call them."

"I wouldn't bother with that. My men have killed every one of those things and burned away any remains."

Kyou answered, making Iris furrow her brows. That touched a nerve.

"Do you know what you have done?"

Iris asked, her voice tensed.

"What I have done is ensure that not a single one of those 'creatures' survive. I have to ensure that nothing can ever threaten the safety of the SSS2, that is what i have done."

"You-... We could have studied more about it, learn more and perhaps unlock even more secrets behind the Angel Player program and this World! You destroyed our hope for ending this stupid war!"

"I destroyed nothing but our enemies who threaten to kill us."

Kyou shot back, almost physically butting heads with Iris by now.

"Maybe it hasn't sunk deep yet into your skull, Testarossa, but this war isn't going to end. You know it, i know it, everyone here knows about it. Stop dreaming about stupid fantasies and wake up to our reality. Maybe the sooner you understand that, the sooner you can find a way to shut down that Angel Player program."

Iris wanted to argue back, but held her tongue. It was pointless to argue further with Kyou.

"Fine, have it your way."

She said through clenched teeth.

"Men, go collect the soil. Even if they were burnt away, they must have still left essences around in the ground."

Iris ordered and her men nodded, leaving immediately to the different areas to carry out the order.

"... This is not over, Fujibayashi."

Iris said, before leaving. Kyou sighed, shaking her head to cool it off after that intense arguement.

"... Of course it isn't over... stupid idiot."

* * *

The recruits suffered for another week of training under Fujibayashi Kyou before she was willing to accept them as 'passable'. Most of them were too tired to comment on Kyou's pep-talks by the third day but at least with the training they were accustomed to this World and the war that they were thrown into. Kyou never got them to do another 'exercise', opting instead for a relatively safer approach. Though the word 'relatively' is used loosely. In fact, Kyou's 'safer' approach had caused each recruit to die horribly at least five times within a day by spike traps, explosions and one particularly large metal ball.

Tanaka had collected the recruits from Kyou and led them back to the school, at which point all of the recruits broke down in tears. Having not seen civilization in a week, which was more like five years to the recruits suffering in the hellish training of Kyou, the recruits had a rather long emotional break-down. After an hour of crying and kissing the running grounds, the recruits were led back to their rooms in the staff building. As they entered, they noticed that most of the members walking around all had smiles and eyes of approval for them. It seemed that they were finally accepted into the organization, or everyone in the organization knew what a hellish training they went through and showed their sympathy. Either way, it was a comforting change from the training in the woods.

"Alright, you guys can rest for tonight, tomorrow, you all will go through your final training with the diversion division. Rest well."

Tanaka told them before he left. Rest well. A phrase that Katsuragi knew not to expect much from it. Whether it was really meant to convey Tanaka's well wishes, or whether they were some sort of sarcastic remark, he would not know. But he guess he would take this opportunity to rest.

"We're finally back."

Daisuke sighed, throwing himself onto his bed.

"Ah... that we are."

Katsuragi said, sitting down on his own bed. Most of the guys had decided that they were too tired to hit the showers, leaving the room to stink a little. But as before, no one had the energy to care.

"... Ne, Daisuke."

"Hm?"

"Get me some tea."

"Sure-... Do i look like some sort of servant?"

"Yes."

"No hesitation..."

Katsuragi noted that even this lame conversation was lacking its energy. He was tired, they all were. Training and more training. Was this how things were going to be for the rest of eternity? Was this war something that Katsuragi really wanted to be part of? What was his reason for being here? What was his pain? What was his regret? Why was he still trying to survive? What was his reason for living?

* * *

"... He seems to be questioning himself."

"Maybe it would be better to tell him."

"No... not yet. It isn't time yet."

"... If you say so."


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: I had a feeling that Hideou would get a lot of attention when I wrote him. I was actually thinking of using the character Taeger from Blazblue, but his personality was slightly dull. I mixed in Bang from the same series together with Jack Rakan from Mahou Sensei Negima for his personality.

If anyone recognizes Ryougi Mana correctly, I would thoroughly surprised, as well as impressed. And you would also know why Ryougi Mana has a grudge against Sakamoto Shiki.

I thought that fighting against Shadows and Angels were quite... plain. I needed to spice it up by giving variety. The Angels themselves are going to have variety as well. Think of the more mainstream anime, Naruto and Bleach where the enemy has mid-boss level people to fight the main characters.

The Intelligence division has their own network of tunnels, as do most divisions. But on the whole, the intelligence division likes to act like ninja and assassins. They are good at sneaking around because that is their job. Makes people think they pop up from nowhere. But I'll tell all of you readers this since I probably will not state this till much later or will not say it at all. Testarossa Iris has a special device which allows her to be invisible. It also can affect up to five subordinates. This enables her to do better intelligence gathering and sneaking about. Most people hate it when she uses it to surprise them.

This chapter will introduce the first of the most powerful devices that uses the Angel Player program. Don't be surprised by it.

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 10_

_Wonderland_

**_In the World of the Living_**

She looked down at the list of options that were written down before her and then closed her eyes, shaking her head in dismay. Was this really the best that they could come up with? She looked at the people who were gathered before the table where she sat. She was seriously disappointed in them.

".. Sigh, I wonder if I am just surrounded by idiots."

She muttered.

"Wha- what do you mean by that, Yurippe? !"

Her childhood friend demanded, banging his fist on the table.

"Yeah, we worked hard to come up with these ideas, at least give us some credibility!"

One of the members of her club added.

"... No. All are rejected."

A sudden dead silence hit the room as everyone suddenly became depressed.

"... I'll come up with something, as always. All of you may go home now."

She said, swivelling her chair around as the members of her club left the room to go. All except for one.

"... Kamiya-kun, I do not need your assistance this time. You may go home with Kanade-chan."

She said, not bothering to turn around to to say it to his face. The young man took a moment, before walking over to the desk.

"Yuri, you're forcing yourself too much again."

"I'm not."

"... The founder's festival does not require us to do as much as the cultural festival. There is no need to get so worked up over it."

She looked at him, rather disappointed in what he had just said. She closed her eyes.

"I always want to achieve more. More than what we could reach for. Wasn't it like that in 'that' World?"

He blinked a couple of times, before sighing.

"Is that why you're sulking?"

"I'm not sulking."

"You are. It has already been three months since we decided to find a way back, yet we do not even have a clue where to begin."

She knew that. She knew that and maybe that was why she was angry. Each day that passed made her dreams more vivid. Dreams of battles, of death, of 'that' place. The war was something that she had started on a selfish whim. It was only right that it would end by her own hand. She hated leaving unfinished business, and this is definitely one torn that she must finish.

"It would be better if we told the others. Maybe they will remember 'that' place as well."

He suggested, a suggestion she scoffed at.

"They would most likely see us as idiots. No, there is no need to drag them into this again. We will-... 'I' will handle this."

"... No, you are not. Kanade and I have both decided to help you, and we will not take 'no' for an answer."

She sighed, shaking her head. He was always so straight-forward and persistent. But then again, that was his good trait.

"Fine... but what bright ideas do you have? It's not like we can just waltz into limbo and expect to just walk out."

She stopped herself the moment she said that. Actually, there might be a way.

* * *

**_Back in Purgatory_**

Katsuragi stared blankly at the chalk board at the front of the classroom. The teacher was droning on about some linear equation that could be substituted into another difficult equation. To be honest, Katsuragi wasn't listening at all to the lecture. He was still feeling slightly out of it when he came here so everything that happened didn't really register in his head. He looked around the classroom and saw the other recruits. Each doing their own thing.

Daisuke was giving winks, nods and other weird signals to the female NPCs in the class, only to be ignored completely. For some reason Katsuragi's old team was in the same class as well. Yamato was folding paper into origami though they were quite badly sharpened. Ayane was looking into her book, which hid what she was actually reading, some odd magazine she took from a Guild member. Others in the same room included Saya from Beta squad, Rei from Beta, Yue from Charlie and Yoshihiko from Alpha. Each doing their own brand of stupidity to avoid paying attention to class. Katsuragi tried to remember what happened exactly before this.

* * *

_**One hour before**_

Being dragged out of the bed early in the morning, Katsuragi and the rest of the recruits were all drowsy and tired, sitting in an empty room while being briefed by the leaders of the diversion division, Kinoji Awase and Jinnai. However it seemed that the one really doing the jobs was Jinnai, as Awase seemed to be dozing off in the corner with a smile on her face and drool coming from that very smile. Was she really the leader of a division? Jinnai shifted his glasses before starting to talk.

"All of you will now undergo the most important training you will receive."

Immediately Yamato raised her hand. Katsuragi wondered if she could just stay silent for the moment, especially considering they were sitting in the room according to their old squads again.

"I thought fighting was most important thing we could learn. Fujibayashi-senpai said that."

"Well Fujibayashi is nothing but a barbaric boar of a woman."

Jinnai snapped back, obviously losing his cool for that moment. But he quickly switched back, giving a slight cough.

"Now, let's get on with the basics. In this division, there are different squads specializing for different activities. Some distract in classes, others in clubs. We have recently started a band to handle large operations but that isn't of your concern. What you will all learn here is how to act when in the school. Although Fort is a clear exception, all divisions have to learn how to blend into the school, while at the same time prevent themselves from 'passing on'. These lessons are integral to surviving in this World as it not only teaches you how to blend in, but it can also teach you how to predict the movements of NPCs, thus letting you know when and where a Shadow attack would come from. Right, the first thing you all need to know is what 'not' to do. The most important is not to pay attention to class. Do something else. Anything else."

* * *

_**Present time**_

By anything, Katsuragi did not know that Jinnai literally meant 'anything'. An explosion from the back of the classroom caught the attention of every NPC in the class, including the teacher, though the SSS2 members simply ignored it. It was Yoshihiko from Alpha squad. His own brand of 'anything' was actually checking his weapon stock, and that included a couple of grenades he nicked from the Guild armoury. As for how and why he did so remained a mystery. No point in asking blown up remains since you would not get any answer from them. Looking at the others in the class, Katsuragi took note that Kinoji Awase, one of the division heads, was actually with them in this class. If she was meant to look after the recruits, she wasn't doing a very good job. In fact, she wasn't doing anything at all that suited the position of a division head, since she was sleeping.

Was this all they had to do? This wasn't really training, was it? It felt more like 'free time'. But Katsuragi guessed that everyone needed it. After the hellish training that they went through, a good rest was the thing they needed. He looked up at the board, noticing that the teacher had gone back to teach whatever the lesson was about. However it seemed that the teacher forgot what he was going on about, resulting in him teaching something completely different. He guessed this was also something to be considered as 'diversion'. As he stared at the board without paying it any real mind, he began to think back. What was the point of this again? Besides that. Why couldn't he remember anything from his past? And what exactly is this World? He began to question about his own self. Was he really alive? What if this was all a figment of his imagination? But then again, he could not have just imagined this World to life... so to speak.

This World had rules, rules that were clearly formed by people. A person with complete amnesia would be no different from a new born child, thus would not be able to create a World with such profound rules. Unless he was someone who did not have complete amnesia, meaning though he forgot a lot of thing, he still had some memory of the basic understandings of society. But in the end Katsuragi knew within himself that this World was not his own, but something of a larger scale. It was not created by one being, but it contained the fragments of multiple people. Thousands, millions of people and maybe even more than that. It was a collection of memories.

But how did he know all of this? This World was foreign, yet familiar to Katsuragi. It felt natural for him to be here but at the same time he knew he did not belong here. He was dead, he was once part of the living World. So why did it feel so odd? The door to the classroom suddenly slammed open, making everyone turn. At the doorway were a group of students, dressed in black and each having a green arm band on their right sleeves. It was the disciplinary committee.

_'"Attention all SSS2 diversion units, evacuate now."'_

A loud announcement from the courtyard below sounded, alerting everyone in the classroom. The SSS2 members all started to get up and run towards the other exit, but more disciplinary members appeared, barring them from escaping.

"You will not escape this time."

One of them smirked, reaching a hand out to grab the nearest one, Saya.

"Now be a good student and come with us-"

The NPC was cut short when a large table was flung to his face, throwing him backwards with such force that he bowled over all of his fellow disciplinary committee members. Everyone turned around and saw that Awase had just gotten up. While stifling a yawn, she picked up another table with one hand, turning to the second group of disciplinary committee members, reared back and gave it one good throw. The NPCs all ran away by now, but they would be back. Awase scratched her head as she turned to the recruits.

"You all better leave now while they're gone."

She smiled. The recruits did not need to be told twice and they ran out of the classroom with Awase following behind. They ran down the hallway, but the NPCs were soon hot on their trail once more. Awase stopped and turned around to face the NPCs alone.

"S-senpai? !"

Yamato turned around but was stopped by the sudden appearance of Jinnai, the second leader of the diversion division.

"Let's go now."

"But-"

"Awase can handle more than her fair share of Angels. A few lowly NPCs are nothing more than a nuisance."

Jinnai said, pushing the recruits down the hallway.

"Jinnai, take care of them."

Awase said without turning her gaze from the NPCs charging at her.

"Understood, leader."

Jinnai saluted before rushing the recruits down. Awase sighed, looking at the NPCs who stopped right before her.

"So, finally willing to surrender?"

One of them asked. Awase rubbed her tired eyes and placed her hand on the pillar column next to her.

"Hmm? Can you say that a bit louder? I could not hear from all of that cracking-"

Her grip suddenly tightened, cracking the concrete column and scaring some of the NPCs.

"And crumbling-"

Her hand yanked out a good portion of the column.

"And... oh look, the wall came off. You know, you guys should put better effort into making these walls. It is a nice place to lean against to sleep, after all."

Awase smiled.

"Ah, I forgot to ask about something. Last week, one of my captains was captured by you guys but he has yet to come back even though his sentence was light. Anyone care to explain?"

Her hand than gripped the wall piece tightly, crushing it and pulverizing the piece into dust. Awase's smile slowly dropped as her eyes became more serious.

"No? I guessed not. You are all mere slaves who do mindless jobs. Mere pieces of JUNK..."

Awase's expression was quickly changing from her carefree self, to that of an enraged demon. She reached into a small pouch she kept by her side and pulled out two things. A golden pocket watch and a small cloth that had been rolled into a ball. Awase raised the ball to her eye level.

"Sorry about this, but you are all going to disappear here. EXEC_ANGELPROGRAM: / / / SYSTEM_LINK WEAPONS_ACCESS\RABBIT_HOLE; ACTIVATE"

Awase threw the ball of cloth up into the air and it unwrapped by itself in mid-air. In the middle of the cloth was what seemed to be a black spot, but it actually a hole. From that hole came forth hundred of weapons. Swords, spears, tridents, rifles, grenade launchers, pistols, daggers and even a machine gun. The weapons flew out in all direction, striking some NPCs as each weapon embedded itself into the wall, floor or ceiling. The entire hallway was literally covered with weapons. With a smile, Awase raised the pocket watch up.

"Welcome boys, to a place where dreams and nightmares coincide. A place where everything and nothing are real. Laws of Worlds and men do not matter in here. Don't worry, I will paint this place red with your blood. Welcome to my wonderland."

Awase snapped her pocket watch open and muttered these words:

"EXEC_ANGELPROGRAM: / / / SECONDARY_SYSTEM_LINK WEAPONS_CONTROL\LATE_RABBIT; ACTIVATE"

The hands on the watch suddenly slowed down and everything around Awase seemed to slow down as well. Awase merely walked up to the nearest weapon, a pair of pistols. She raised her leg up and stomped down hard on the ground, the vibrations causing the pistols to jumped off the ground and into her hands. The moment she grabbed those pistols, Awase fired them without hesitation. She quickly emptied those pistols, dropped them and kicked a rifle from the wall, bringing it to aim and firing at the next target. Once the rifle was out of bullets, she tossed that away and grabbed two swords, throwing them like they were throwing knives at the enemy.

Awase did not stop in her rampage, kicking, punching, grabbing weapons that her cloth had spewed out from its twilight dimensional hole and using them before grabbing another weapon when the weapon in her hand was done. It was like watching a dancer waltzing through a hallway, if you discount the bullets, cries of death and blood splatter. It was scary to see, in fact, since Awase was usually the gentle person who would just fall asleep anywhere. But her current personality was like a complete opposite. Rage, anger, all pent up and disguised by her happy-go-lucky persona. And soon, it was all over. Nothing was left in the hallway but blood, bodies and used weapons. But in all of this carnage, not a single drop of blood touched Awase. She closed the pocket watch and time reverted to normal. She kept her pocket watch and walked off, but not before taking one last look at the body of that one particularly loud-mouthed NPC. A sad smile crept on her face before she turned and left.

* * *

The recruits had not been too far away to catch a small glimpse of what Awase did. And while it was amazing to see, the recruits felt nothing but fear from it. Jinnai gathered the recruits for a debriefing in one of the empty rooms at Fort and they noticed that Awase was not there. But maybe it was good thing she was not there. The recruits did not think that they could actually stand straight if she were in the same room as them. Jinnai seemed to have noticed the recruits' discomfort and sighed. This was going to take some explanation.

"Do not be afraid of Awase. She would never harm any person she considers a friend. Of course she wasn't always like that. There was a large battle five years ago that changed this entire organization."

Jinnai explained.

"The Battle of Big Site, am I right?"

Yue asked, to which Jinnai nodded his head.

"Exactly, I'm guessing you heard from someone about this. The Battle of Big Site was the largest and costliest battle the SSS2 had ever faced since its founding. It was the day we faced against our new enemy, the Angels. Although the number of Angels that currently exist are now limited, during that battle the number of Angels we faced were in the thousands. We lost a lot of good people, and it changed many people... During that battle, Awase lost a lot of her friends. Awase was never one to consider those in the Diversion division to be her subordinates. Every one was her friend and that was how she became popular. But because she took them personally, losing even one person was extremely difficult for Awase. Awase rarely gets angry, so when she does she releases everything she has."

Jinnai was clearly not too happy about explaining this either. It was clear that he too suffered from some sort of pain.

"What about her weapon?"

Kazu asked.

"Her weapon? Ah, you must mean the 'Rabbit hole' and 'Rabbit's foot'. Those two are weapons made specifically for Awase and as a set they make up one of the only five 'SSS' ranked special weapons Guild have created. As all of you are aware, there are black and white essences in this World. Black essence creates weapons that are high in offensive abilities but almost zero in defensive. White essence is used for weapons with particular abilities that enhance the user. I heard that you recruits met Hideou from the Assault division. His gloves are made from white essence which enhances his own physical capabilities. For Awase, her pocket watch speeds her up to the point where everything around her can literally stand still. It is probably to make up for all of her times sleeping. As for 'Rabbit Hole', it acts like a portal to a separate world. It produces anything Awase wants it to but Awase is usually too lazy to think of only one item, so it usually ends up spitting out an armoury load of weapons, which leads to Awase's special skill: Wonderland."

"Don't go talking so much about it, Jinnai."

A voice suddenly spoke up. Everyone turned around and saw Awase walk in whilst clutching her abdomen. Her uniform around that area was stained red.

"Awase! You're-"

"I'm fine... just need to sleep it off."

Awase smiled, waving Jinnai off as she leaned against the wall and slumped to the ground.

"Feels cold... I guess... I'll see you in a few hours."

Awase smiled before she closed her eyes and her body fell limp.

"Awase... you were being too reckless again."

Jinnai sighed, walking over and grabbed a blanket, covering Awase with it. Katsuragi thought that he felt a certain emotion coming from Jinnai. Was it concern? Or something more-

"You had to go ruin the floor again, and how many times do you want to die before you're satisfied with leaving me with all of the paper work? You lazy excuse of a leader. Sigh, sometimes I wonder why I even bother to clean up after her."

Or maybe Jinnai was just angry at her. Katsuragi sighed, berating himself inwardly at how he was probably thinking too much into things again. Jinnai got back up to his feet and turned to the recruits.

"All of you have done well. Though this training is short, I'm sure all of you have a good grasp on what it takes to blend into the school environment. You may all return to your rooms. In two days time, you all will receive notification on which division you will be entering based off your own abilities that you have shown. Though you all may be in different divisions and rivalries are bound to occur between the groups, do not forget that all of you are now full-fledge SSS2 members. Wear your uniform and badge with pride and protect what you all hold dear to you. Your lives."


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing, always feel good to see people enjoying my story.

Awase was really powered up and actually I took the least amount of time to think up of what she could use as a weapon. The person who handed me her design did not really specify, so I took the liberty of twisting it. Though her weapon took the least amount of time to conceive, it was the longest weapon to finalize.

There are certain hidden meanings in Awase's weapon, since it is called Wonderland and her weapons are Rabbit Hole and Rabbit's foot, they are all pointing to the old book Alice in Wonderland. It suits Awase since she is always sleeping. My initial thought for her weapon wasn't from Fate/Stay Night, though I do love the entire Fate series as well most of the other type-moon works. The initial idea came from two things, one was the matrix armoury scene, and the other was Halo. Odd, isn't it? Matrix gave me the idea of multiple weapons since the person who handed me Awase said she could use anything around her as a weapon. The Halo game gave me the technique that Awase used since in the game, I would not actually bother with reloading my own weapon and the moment I use up the weapon's ammunition I would be standing over another weapon and just switch immediately to continue the fight.

In terms of Fate/Stay Night though, Awase's weapon would be more like Unlimited Blade Works.

I discussed it with another reader and I told him that the four other 'SSS' ranked weapons (a pun on the organization's name) were used by the leaders of the other divisions. But there are five other divisions, so can anyone care to guess who wouldn't be holding one? Also each division leader (Jinnai is included) represents one of the seven deadly sins. Three are obvious, but the other four are not quite. Their sins are also reflected in their weapons.

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 11_

_Divide and..._

Yuki smiled, throwing the file in her hand onto the desk. She looked up to the gathered leaders of the divisions, Ein Shrewerz of the Assault Division; Himura Yuuko, boss of Guild; Kinoji Awase and Jinnai from the Diversion division; Tatsume Kenji from the enigmatic Intelligence division. The leaders looked up to Yuki, each holding onto a similar file in hand.

"So, it's once again time."

Yuki smirked. The leaders all nodded, looking at each other from the corner of their eyes, shifting their gazes uneasily. The intense pressure building up within the room was suffocating, which explains why during this division leader meeting there wouldn't be anyone else other than the leaders in the room. It was like a wildfire building up within the room. Ein narrowed his eyes at Yuuko, knowing that she would be his largest threat. Yuuko did the same, her eyes showing no sign of backing off. Awase was snoring away while Jinnai cleaned his glasses. Kenji merely looked to Yuki who was sitting behind her desk being all composed. Kenji did not like this process, detesting how Yuki performs her duties and how she seeks to control everything. Yuki shifted her hands into a 'gendou' pose, and nodded.

"It is time to begin."

All in the room swallowed hard. Yuki reached into her pocket and pulled out a coin. She took the coin in hand and flipped it into the air. Time seemed to slow down as the coin became the centre of attention for all in the room. The coin flew up, then fell down back towards the ground. All eyes glued on the coin as it fell back down. The coin then hit the ground-

"**I TAKE KATSURAGI AND KUSANAGI YAMATO!**"

Yuki declared and slammed her palms against her desk even before the coin hit the ground completely.

"Geh! You cheated again!"

Ein pointed an accusing finger at Yuki. The Queen of Fort merely smirked.

"You are too slow, boy. Move fast and take what you can, that is how I have survived to create this organization."

"... Tch."

Ein knew he could not argue with Yuki. No one could.

"I will take Narusaki Yue."

Kenji said, reminding the leaders that the selection process was still going on. If one could call this a 'selection process' in the first place.

" "I will take Kashiide Kazu-" "

Ein and Yuuko both said at the same time, which caused them to turn and glare at each other.

"So... it has come down to this after all, Yuuko."

Ein said, getting to his feet and cracking his knuckles.

"I could not agree any more, Ein-chii."

Yuuko replied, getting to her feet and taking out the long thin metal stick she had in her mouth and slotting it into her pouch.

"It's been awhile since I had a chance to teach you youngsters the importance of elders."

Yuuko added, rolling up her sleeves.

"'Youngster'? Ha! Don't make me laugh! I died at the age of eighteen, you died at sixteen!"

"But I've been here way longer than you have, kiddo."

"We do not age in this world, but enough talk! Do you want to do this, or not?"

Ein glared at her, tightening his gloves. Yuuko smirked, her fists tightening.

"Bring it kid."

"Let's go!"

The two charged at each other, bringing out their fists to-

"**JAN KEN PON** (rock paper scissors game)!"

Ein brought out his flat hand at Yuuko's face, but Yuuko's hand had swerved around with her hand showing two fingers. Yuuko stabbed Ein in the eyes with her fingers.

"GAAAHHH! MY EYES!"

Ein cried out, rearing back. Yuuko then curled her hand into a fist and sent it into Ein's stomach.

"Super 'Scissor-Rock' combo!"

Yuuko shouted as Ein was sent sprawling onto the ground. Yuuko took out her metal stick to chew on and showed a victory sign.

"Guild prevails once more! GA HA HA HA HA!"

"Diversion division will take Shinagawa Mina. zzzz"

Awase spoke up even though she was still sleeping. As expected of a division leader. Even while asleep, she can still do her duties.

"Ah, forgot the selection was still going on."

"I will take Fujita Yoshihiko and Wakamoto Souichirou."

Kenji said, marking the names off his file.

"I-I will take Saya and Mitsuhide Ayane."

Ein gasped, struggling back to the couch.

"I will take Kuroe Hitomi-"

"I want Hitomi-chii!"

Yuuko cut Yuki off, making Yuki raise an eyebrow.

"... Yuuko, do you seriously want to challenge me?"

Yuki asked.

"I will not back off!"

Yuuko declared, bursting with confidence over her victory over Ein. Yuki narrowed her eyes at the Boss of Guild, before slowly getting to her feet. A strange menacing aura was building up around her as all of a sudden everyone in the room could see the image of a horned demon towering behind Yuki as representation of her presence. Yuuko's presence was reduced to an image of a small hamster.

"Are you sure, Yuuko?"

Yuki asked once more, to which Yuuko finally realized her folly, shaking her head frantically.

"N-no! I-I'm fine without her! Really!"

"Really?"

"Y-yes! I-I will take Ishida!"

Yuuko quickly said.

"Hey! I wanted Ishida!"

Ein retorted back.

"Then I challenge you for him!"

Yuuko declared, changing her focus to someone more manageable. Yuki sat back down and the tension eased.

"Alright, I accept! I will not lose this time!"

Ein said, getting up once more. The two glared at each other for the second time, though Yuuko chose not to keep her long stick this time.

"JAN KEN PON!"

Yuuko immediately brought out her fist to punch Ein, but Ein blocked with his palm.

"Paper wins over rock."

Ein smirked, gripping onto Yuuko's fist so that she wouldn't be able to run away. But Yuuko wasn't running.

"SUKI-ARI (an opening)!"

Yuuko brought her second fist around, striking Ein by his side.

"GAAAH!"

Ein lost once more. Yuuko smirked, standing victorious over her victim.

"MY rock can conquer any paper."

The selection process went on, and after a few more falcon punches, face palms and scissors take-down-choke-holds it ended with Ein managing to claim Todoroki Wataru, and Kawaguchi Naoyuki. Diversion division had secured Minamoto Kaaya and Hiroshi. Yuuko only managed to get one more member, Wakase Izumi. Kenji had gotten hold of Motoyama Rei. In total, the Assault Division gained four new members, Guild gained three, Diversion obtained three, Intelligence gathered four and Fort had three.

"Right, that's all done for today."

Yuki said, shuffling her file. The other leaders all got up and left the conference room, tired and weary of this meeting, yet happy that they managed to get new members. Yuki sighed as the last of the leaders left the room, she leaned back in her chair, opening her file to look at the faces of the recruits who would be joining her. Kusanagi Yamato was an extremely talented fighter and leader, so she would definitely be in Yuki's Wolves squad. Kuroe Hitomi showed similar qualities, though not as good. Hitomi would be a good addition to the base defence squad 'Camelot'. As for Katsuragi... The reason why Yuki wanted him was because he intrigued her. He had some connection to Kou, and also to that 'day'. The day in which all hell broke loose when they tried to alter the Angel Program too much. Best not to think too much of it. Yuki sighed, rubbing her temples as she tried to think things through.

"... Am I missing something?"

She thought aloud, wondering about it since her mind seemed to think that there was something else that she forgot. At that moment, the door of her office opened, and Kurogane Kou stepped in. The leader of the sixth division was as emotionless as always and her presence seemed to drop the temperature of the room. Kou still had that black cloth around her neck and carried her scythe around like a grim reaper.

"Kou, what brings you here?"

Yuki asked, noting that the sixth division rarely had any business in Fort. Their base of operations existed everywhere, not just in Fort though they often used a room in Fort for rest and planning. Kou walked over to Yuki's desk and threw two files onto the desk. Yuki flipped them open and saw the profiles of two other members of the organization.

"... Are these two traitors?"

Yuki asked.

"... These two... will enter sixth division."

Kou replied. Yuki raised an eyebrow at that reply. Though sixth division recruits by taking in members from other divisions, which explains why they are never around for the recruitment of the new recruits, Yuki knows that the sixth division usually only has twenty members.

"Kou, did you lose members?"

Kou did not answer that question, merely staring at Yuki with the same dead eyes. Yuki would have to take that as a 'yes'. She looked back down to the files. The sixth division actually did not need to file any forms or ask permission to get members from other divisions. If a sixth division member approached you and handed you a black band, you were automatically part of the sixth division and were expected to follow Kou as part of the sixth division's Guardians. But this was something that Kyou requested of Kou to do. Mainly to inform the other division leaders of who the sixth division will be taking. Yuki also wanted to know so as to allow her to keep track of what is going on in the organization. Even as Yuki looks through these files, the said recruits were at the moment being approached by members of the sixth division.

"... Kisaragi Setsuna... member of Assault division's War Boars. Did you tell Ein and Kyou?"

Kou did not say anything again.

"... Well, he does look like he's someone from your division already. And the other member is... Kuraiheishi Hikaru... is that is really is family name? They seriously need to get their heads checked. Let's see... he was from... Guild? And why would someone from Guild be chosen?"

Yuki asked. Kou reached over and tapped on the file. One line in particular. Yuki followed the finger and read the line aloud.

"'Distinguished in gun making and use'? 'Fought in three attacks of Guild'... I see, so he also fought against Angels before. Alright, thanks for letting me know. They will be officially placed by tomorrow."

Yuki closed the files and kept to one side, though the two of them knew that the sixth division had no 'official record' or so to speak. In fact, there was no record the entire sixth division ever existing. The profile of each member of the sixth division was still kept in the same category as their previous division, the only difference being that there was a simple cross across their names. Kou was the one to request this strange way of paperwork. According to her, the sixth division did not exist, they did not have names, they were never alive. To be a Guardian, you must be someone who isn't human. You did not exist for yourself, for others or for any thing physical, emotional or mental. To be a Guardian; to be a Reaper, you must become a machine; a monster that lives only to kill. Reapers do not need names, only a weapon and a finger to point them in the right direction. Kou turned to go, but then stopped, and tapped onto the first file that was on Yuki's desk. The recruitment file.

"You are missing... one more person."

She said before leaving the room. Yuki raised her eyebrow and looked over the recruitment file once more.

"... Missing someone? ... Oh, Ooguchi Daisuke... was he here in the first place? Ah, never mind. He'll join Fort."

And thus, Fort gained four new members.

* * *

Katsuragi was feeling slightly nervous, since he did not really know what was going on. In the morning, they were told that they were going to be separated into their respective divisions and that they would have to stay within their rooms. But as of yet no one in the room knew how they were going to be told. And so the excruciating and unnerving wait for the boys in the room began. However they did not have to wait for long. The door to the room opened and a young man walked in.

"When I call out your names, you will follow me. Todoroki Wataru and Kawaguchi Naoyuki."

The two recruits got up, nervous, and walked over to the young man. The man folded the paper he read from and pocketed it.

"Alright, the two of you are now part of the Assault division. Congratulations. Follow me."

The trio left the room, and a girl walked in almost immediately.

"Ishida, Kashiide Kazu."

She called out and the two got up.

"The two of you are going down to Guild. Follow me."

After that, the representative for Diversion came and after another twenty minutes the Intelligence division representative came. Soon, only Katsuragi and Daisuke were left in the room.

"So... we're both left."

Daisuke said, resting his head on his hands.

"Ah... We don't know about the girls, so we can't really say we're left."

Katsuragi replied.

"True. But seeing as how the other groups have come, we're probably in Fort. Imagine to be under 'that' Queen."

Daisuke shivered just thinking about it. Katsuragi did not care at all, only thinking of what he wanted to accomplish in this World. Now that he thought about it, why did he choose to stay in this World? Was it to find his lost memories? Or was it something else? He had no prior attachments, he did not know why he was here. Why did he stay? As time went by, however, Katsuragi became less worried about why he was in this weird world, and becoming more worried about where was the representative from Fort. After an hour, the door finally opened and a small girl stepped in timidly.

"E-erm... A-are you t-two Ka-Katsuragi a-and O-Ooguchi D-Daisuke?"

The girl timidly stammered. Katsuragi and Daisuke looked at each other, then stood up.

"Yes, we are."

When Katsuragi said that, the girl heaved a sigh of relief.

"S-sorry for the w-wait. I-I got l-lost."

She explained.

"Lost? Are you a member of Fort? And isn't this Fort? It isn't exactly a maze."

Daisuke pointed out. The girl's faced turned red as she smiled sheepishly.

"I-I don't e-exactly h-have a g-good s-sense of d-direction."

"... Even so, there has to be a limit."

Daisuke muttered. The two of them were led outside and told to wait.

"I-I need t-to g-get the f-female r-recruits."

The young girl said, before walking in the complete opposite direction as where the female recruit room was. Katsuragi pulled her back before she got too far.

"Their room... is that way."

He said, pointing to the room next door which had a large sign saying 'Female recruits'.

"A-ah, sorry!"

She said, before continuing to walk in the opposite direction.

"LIKE I SAID!"


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: I had hoped that the last chapter would surprise you guys, but maybe it is to be expected in that World. I have to follow up on the Angel Beats! tradition of just plain randomness. I still can't top the rocket chair... nothing can top that... Well, I'm hoping this chapter will surprise you guys. New style of writing!

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 12_

_Going Down_

After finally getting the young representative to the right room, two girls stepped out of the other room. Kuroe Hitomi from Alpha squad, and-

"Ah."

"Ah."

Katsuragi pointed at the second girl, who pointed back. Kusanagi Yamato.

_[Kusanagi Yamato joins party]_

_[Kuroe Hitomi joins party]_

"It seems we're never too far apart."

Yamato said as the four of them followed behind the representative, though this time they managed to grab another person from Fort to help out.

"But Ayane isn't here."

Katsuragi noted, seeing as how Kuroe Hitomi was a member of Alpha. Yamato nodded in agreement.

"She's the only member of Delta who isn't with us. She went with the Assault division."

"Assault... I see."

It certainly did suit her. But still, Katsuragi had to wonder how the selection process actually went about.

"Seeing as how Ayane isn't with us makes me think about how they actually choose the divisions for us."

Yamato muttered. That made Katsuragi stare at her with a rather amazed look.

"... What is with that creepy look?"

Yamato asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, but I just thought of the same thing."

Yamato and Katsuragi looked at each other for awhile more, before they smiled.

"I guess we're more alike than we thought. No wonder we were placed in the same division."

The four recruits were led down the hall and down the stairs contrary to what Katsuragi thought they would be going. He initially thought that they were going to meet the leader of the Fort division, but they were instead led to the first floor to a room where they met-

"Geh. Why him?"

Standing in the room with his arms crossed and a head band with the crude hand written words '**Yuki LOVE**' scribbled on it around his head was none other than-

"I am sergeant Imagawa Jin, leader of Camelot, the squad responsible for keeping Fort defended and alive! You will all address me as 'SIR, YOUR GRACIOUS LORD, SIR'! Do I make myself clear? !"

The irritating man shouted at them. Wasn't he shot by Yuki? And what is with this business of calling him sir and lord?

"Don't mind him, he's crazy."

The second guide said.

"Iori! Why are you here?"

Jin pointed an accusing finger at the young man.

"Why? Because I was asked to. And unlike someone who has half the brain of an insect, I do what I am told to do properly. Actually, saying that is an insult to insects."

"IORI!"

Jin wanted to punch the second guide, but the young man simply blocked the attack.

"These are the new recruits for Fort, Jin, and I don't think I need to remind you just who is the one who picked these people."

The young man named Iori smiled and certain wolf's smile. That made Jin rear back, showing slight fear.

"I'm sure Yuki has briefed you on what needs to be done and who goes where. Remember, Jin, if I so much as '**_hear_**' about you doing **ANYTHING** to these recruits..."

Iori trailed off, his face quite dark with a sadistic smile and blood-hungry eyes. Jin was right now terrified, making Katsuragi wonder just who was this person they randomly grabbed from the corridor to help guide them? But Iori quickly lost that malice, his smile turning back into a cheery one as he tapped Jin on the cheek.

"Well, I do not need to tell you, do I?"

Jin shook his head furiously.

"Good. I'll go report to Yuki. You, in the mean time, are to do your job."

Iori waved and turned to leave the room, but stopped at the first guide.

"Rio-chan, can you watch over them? I worry that Jin might do something stupid like **FORGET** his duty."

Iori tensed the word 'forget' quite strongly. Rio, the first guide, looked as though she did not quite catch what was being insinuated and was quite excited about her new job.

"I-I will d-do my b-best!"

She said while her face was beaming with anticipation. Iori smiled and patted her on the head.

"I know you will. I leave it to you then. Jin."

"YES SIR!"

Jin snapped to salute. Was this Iori really that scary of a person?

"... Play nice."

With that, Iori left the room, letting Jin sigh with relief. But this also meant that Jin went back to his cocky and arrogant self.

"Alright you maggots-"

The door suddenly opened again and Iori popped his head back in. That made Jin stand up straight rigid once more.

"Ah, before I forget. Jin."

"Y-YES SIR!"

"I'm still waiting for your report on last week's incident."

"I-I-I-I'LL GET RIGHT ON IT! SIR!"

Iori smiled at Jin's answer.

"Good. I'll be waiting for it."

* * *

With that out of the way, Jin handed each new recruit a file that had their name on it. Katsuragi opened the file and saw that it contained a lot about him, his sleeping postures, his most commonly ordered dish at the cafeteria, who he talks to the most (which unfortunately is Daisuke), and so on. They were keeping tabs on him. He also noted that his profile had a box read 'Division' and written in it was 'Fort'. Under squad it was 'Wolves'.

"You'll find an ID card clipped at the back which is to be kept on you at all times."

Jin explained, showing them his own. It had several nicks and scratches, as well as weird scribbles on his photo. Katsuragi flipped to the back of the file and saw that there was his own ID. When did they take this photo?

_[Obtained SSS2 ID]_

_[Joined Fort]_

_[Joined Yuki's Elite: Wolves]_

"It is used mainly to identify members of the SSS2 and also acts like a key card to enter certain areas of our base. As you get promoted, your clearance level would increase, allowing you to access more facilities and areas in our base. You can also access other facilities in the other divisions' bases but as it is considered outside of your division, your clearance level would always be one rank lower than of your own base. Next, is a stack of food coupons."

_[Obtained 100 MT (Meal tickets) ]_

"As you know, food coupons are the currency besides dirt and essence for Guild. You can either get more tickets from the cafeteria, which would not be much since they would dispense a maximum of three per day, or you can complete jobs and tasks that are specifically made for your squad."

Jin took out a piece of paper which had a lot of words scribbled on it. At the top read 'Help Wanted', and below were the details.

"This is an example of a request that anyone can fulfil, also known as 'GenRe' (General Requests). These usually involve running around, delivering items or finding lost items. They are easy, have the least risk of trouble but pay out the least number of tickets for all requests. Next are squad specific requests, which would only involve those in your squad. Also known as 'SquaRe' (Squad Requests), they are usually given by your squad leader according to ability. These are harder to complete as they involve things like infiltration, Shadow hunting and the sort. These requests pay out quite a large sum even though they are split evenly by the squad members who participate in the request. The next type is called the 'DiRe' (Division Requests). These involve the entire division and are quite rare. They are more often used to mobilize an entire Division to counter, destroy or secure any enemy, area, or intelligence. These can pay from two hundred to a thousand tickets per person. Of course, these are extremely hard and always involve Angels. The last type is the Organizational Requests, officially called 'Operations' though most people call them 'ORe'. These are less like requests and more like jobs. Once a month, Yuki and the leaders gather to plan a large scale joint-operation that would involve the entire organization to achieve a certain objective. They mostly include activities that disrupt the NPCs on a school wide level, or to draw out any dangerous Shadow or Angel. These do not pay out in meal tickets, but rather you get a chance to be promoted, get days off from work, or be given additional ammunition. Most people get the additional ammunition even though they want the days off work."

This was starting to sound a lot like an adventure game where you hunt monsters with giant weapons and talk to bipedal cats who can cook and clean your house.

"The four of you are assigned to squads and you will report to your respective squad leaders later. For now, I will guide you down to Guild to get your proper arms and also show where your squads are."

Jin then led the four new recruits out of the room with the first guide, Rio, following closely behind. But the moment they stepped out of the classroom, Rio had already disappeared.

"Bah, leave her. She'll turn up later. No matter how lost she gets Rio will always reappear."

Jin explained.

"Later? How much later?"

Yamato asked.

"About five hours."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

The four recruits were quite speechless by that answer.

"That isn't 'later' any more."

Daisuke muttered. Jin led the four recruits down to the entrance of Guild and they entered the tunnel to Guild. However something seemed wrong. There wasn't anyone using this tunnel. Normally, the tunnel would be filled with members of the SSS2 running about with crates of supplies or documents. Even the usual random spots of stores for supplies or sleeping areas were abandoned.

"... This is odd. Where did everyone go?"

Jin wondered.

"Could it be that there was an attack?"

Yamato asked.

"No, there would be bodies and gunfire everywhere. This is just... quiet. Wait here."

Jin said before walking over to one side where an intercom was on the wall.

"Hello? This is Sergeant Imagawa Jin from Camelot. Is anyone there?"

Jin asked though the intercom. There was silence at first, then-

_'"Eh? There's someone down in tunnel F4?"'_

Came the surprised reply.

"Yes, this is Imagawa Jin from Camelot. I've come to bring the recruits in for-"

_'"There's no time! Get out of that tunnel now!"'_

Jin was stunned for a split second, before he turned with his face being afraid and frightened.

"Quick! Back up to Fort! NOW!"

Jin shouted at them. At first the recruits were slightly confused, but they knew that something was seriously wrong. Yamato was the first to dash for the ladder. She climbed up fast, but the moment she reached the trap door, a loud locking sound came from the trap door.

"What the-... It's lock!"

Yamato exclaimed, looking down, before realizing that she was wearing a skirt, and Katsuragi was standing below.

_[Katsuragi raised a Kusanagi Yamato flag event]_

"... I will kill you if you say anything."

She threatened, which Katsuragi shook his head and looked away. Yamato climbed down, un-holstered her pistol, and shot one in Katsuragi's head.

_[Katsuragi has died, please go to church to revive]_

"Stop killing each other. Now isn't time for that."

Jin warned, pulling out his own weapon, which was a spear.

"What is going on?"

Hitomi asked, seeing as how Jin was slightly on edge.

"Ever since Yuuko discovered an entire cache of spare traps left behind by the previous SSS organization, she had been dying to try them out. Once a month, she sets up traps in one entire stretch of tunnel. Yuki was smart enough to intervene before Yuuko went too crazy with the traps, and it was Yuki who ordered Yuuko to only trap one tunnel and have a complete lock-down of that tunnel."

Jin explained, just as Katsuragi revived.

"So what is suppose to set off the traps?"

"... They usually release a few Shadows, depending on the traps laid out."

"Shadows? ! We don't have enough ammunition to fight any battle!"

Yamato said. And it was true enough that each member did not have enough bullets to last through even one fight.

"I know that! And watch who you're talking to! I'm still you're senpai!"

"A senpai who got us into this mess. Wasn't there suppose to be a warning or something?"

Jin froze at Yamato's question.

"... I... forgot."

He muttered. That was it, the last straw of respect anyone had in the first place for Jin was now gone.

"Anyway, we're not safe here. There is a safe zone at the end of the tunnel. If we can get there, we can get out."

Jin led the way down the tunnel, watching every corner for anything suspicious. As they walked, Daisuke suddenly nudged Katsuragi.

"So?"

Daisuke asked with his eyes showing a glint of mischief.

"So what?"

Katsuragi was getting annoyed by Daisuke's persistent and useless attempts at conversation.

"So what was the colour?"

Now that was really just pushing it too far. But before Katsuragi could say anything, Yamato pressed her pistol at Daisuke's face and fired two shots. Even when Daisuke was dead on the ground, Yamato continued to empty her magazine into the body.

_[Daisuke suffered massive damage] _

_[critical hit] _

_[super effective] _

_[Daisuke is dead] _

_[Impossible to revive at church.]_

"... Weren't you the one who said that we did not have enough ammunition?"

Katsuragi asked as Yamato changed her magazine.

"For this pest, any bullet used would not be wasted."

"... I see."

Katsuragi figured that it would be best not to bother Yamato at the moment. She to be on the edge of just shooting everything.

"Are you recruits done? Hurry up!"

Jin shouted. Katsuragi looked down at Daisuke's limp body and sighed. He had to dragged this idiot all the way too? Without much choice, Katsuragi slung Daisuke's arm over his shoulder and pulled the heavy weight to follow the others. As they walked along, the recruits that Jin was using his spear to tap floors, walls and using it to go around corners before he did.

"... Senpai, what are you doing?"

Hitomi asked. Jin tapped a wall with his stick a few times before he turned to answer.

"Shadows are nothing. It is those blasted traps that I'm worried about. Knowing Yuuko, she probably set up several anti-army class traps down here."

Everyone stared at Jin when he said that.

"A-anti-army?"

"Yes. One of those things can make the entire school disappear in a blink of an eye."

"... EEHHH? !"

Why was such a powerful weapon deployed as a trap? More importantly why was something like that deployed down here in the first place?

"After the battle of Big Site, Yuuko wanted additional protection for Guild but since the old traps were disabled long ago, there was no way to put them back. Unfortunately after some exploration teams found a hidden cache while searching the older tunnels of the SSS, Yuuko had gotten her hands on some dangerous traps. I heard a rumour saying that there was note on that cache stating that it was never to be used due to its dangerous properties. So you guys better watch out for where you step-"

The moment Jin said that, he stepped onto something that sunk into the ground.

"... er..."

The next second, a jet of flames appeared from above and scorched Jin to cinders.

_[Imagawa suffered extreme third degree burns] _

_[Imagawa is burnt] _

_[Imagawa is now fried] _

_[Imagawa is now charcoal] _

_[Imagawa is dead.]_

Jin's fried extra-crispy body fell forward, and certain clicking sound could be heard that the body hit the ground.

"... What was that?"

Yamato asked as a loud rumbling sound started to come up from behind them. Katsuragi was almost too afraid to turn around to look, but when he did, he really wished he hadn't. Rolling down towards them was a giant iron ball the size of the tunnel itself.

"... GAAAHHH!"

_[Party wiped out]_

* * *

After an hour of running, dying and dodging traps, the group finally reached the safe zone of the tunnel. Barricaded and guarded by Guild's own armed forces, the guards of Guild known as 'Shield', the safe zone was more heavily armed than a machine nest in Fort. Machine guns were placed upon sand bags with only half a metre of distance between each machine gun. Additional guards had their rifles ready at the first sign of danger and behind them were giant cannons. Those were the infamous German 88mm anti-aircraft Flak cannons, the acht-acht. Behind those fearsome cannons were mortar teams as well as snipers. This barricade was like a wall of death. Good thing that they were friendly to the group. Katsuragi pulled himself over the barricade and slumped the ground, exhausted and tired. A member of Shield approached the group with a few others following behind her. She had the look of distrust in her eyes and her finger on the trigger of her rifle clearly showed that.

"Sergeant Imagawa Jin?"

She asked. Jin stood up using his spear as support and nodded.

"That's me. Identification code '00032185F'."

The girl narrowed her eyes at Jin, then sighed. She nodded to the others and everyone pointed their rifles away.

"Good. I'm corporal Takamine Kaoru. Welcome to Guild."

She said, more specifically to the recruits.

"Sergeant Imagawa, I am pretty sure that Fort was notified that this tunnel was under-going a trap lock-down."

Jin was feeling cornered by this accusation.

"... I-I forgot! Okay? Besides, your boss is the one crazy enough to place five anti-army traps all within the same area!"

Jin snapped back. The corporal closed her eyes and sighed.

"I apologize for Boss's behaviour. Well, at least you all made it here. I will guide you to the rail-car station."

Kaoru led the group past the barricade and further down the tunnel where it was bursting with activity that the group was more used to seeing.

"It is a good thing we didn't run into any Shadows along the way."

Daisuke sighed, coughing up a bullet.

"Yes, it was luck... still, I would have thought that there would be at least one."

Yamato added. The corporal suddenly stopped when she heard what they were saying.

"... You didn't see any Shadows?"

She asked, slightly concerned.

"Y-yes, we didn't see any."

Yamato repeated. The corporal narrowed her eyes, then nodded.

"Understood. Sergeant, I'm afraid but I have to leave you now. There is something wrong with this exercise."

The corporal saluted, then ran back towards the barricade.

"I'm guessing that the Shadows are evolving to evade the traps."

Jin muttered.

"What do you mean?"

Hitomi asked, slightly confused by all of this.

"This tunnel doesn't have a lot of side passages, and the only traps that were heard were those that were triggered by us. That means that either the Shadows were deliberately following us to evade the traps, or they have the ability to not trigger any trap at all."

This did not sound good. But Jin shrugged his shoulders.

"Still, they aren't Angel class. The Shield squad will take care of them. For now, follow me."

Jin led the group past the initial Guild that they were introduced to, and into what appeared to be a train station. Complete with platforms, tracks and even a station marking on the wall that read 'Guild'. On the tracks were rectangular rail-cars without a roof. The rail-cars had a rectangular frame with four seats within it. A large control stick in the middle was used to control speed. There were large metal plates attached to the front and rear of each rail-car, most likely used to carry large crates while smaller supplies could be carried by a net attached to the underside of the rail-car Jin told the others to wait as he approached one of the Guild members at the platform. After a short conversation, Jin came back.

"Alright, we can take the next one. Our destination is Big Site and it's near the end of the main track. Guild has rail-car tracks throughout all of their major tunnel systems, and most of them are usually used for transporting supplies. The tracks are usually the domain of the runners 'Overcharge' and the provisions squad 'Raiders', so if you ever want to use the tracks you need their permission. You also need to get one as a guide."

Jin explained.

"A guide?"

"There are a lot of tunnels that branch out down here. Not all of the tunnels lead to an exit, however, and there had been many accidents. The tunnels can lead either to an exit somewhere in the school or in the forests and hills around the school. Other tunnels lead to storage rooms or sleeping quarters for Guild and Fort members. There are also exploration and excavation tunnels. As all of you know, the SSS2's predecessor, the SSS, were the first ones to create these elaborate tunnels and Guild. Although we have recovered both Guild and Big Site, recent surveys have unlocked a whole new network of tunnels that seem to stretch on forever. Estimates are that we have only discovered a mere 10 percent of the entire network."

Everyone was surprised by this piece of news, though some for a completely different reason than others.

"10... percent... Katsuragi!"

Daisuke shouted at Katsuragi.

"W-what?"

"... What is 10 percent?"

_[Daisuke has been killed]_

"Anyway, trying to head down these tunnels yourself is dangerous and getting a guide would be safer. Though don't always trust the guide. 1 out of 5 times they too would get lost."

Jin added. That was a pretty high probability to get lost. What use was the guide for then? A whistle was blown from the end of the platform, alerting Jin.

"Looks like it's our turn. Come on."

While the recruits were not too sure on the probability of getting to Big Site, they were left with no other choice. They followed Jin down the platform to the end where a whole line of rail-cars were joined together and waiting for them. The front two rail-cars were empty with seats probably taken from the school classroom stuck into them, while the last five were carrying large crates. The first car had several Guild members climbing into it, leaving the second rail-car to the recruits, who climbed in. There were only four seats, so Jin sat on the back plate, trying himself to the railing of the car with a rope.

"Strap in. This is going to be a rough ride."

He warned the recruits, who looked to one another before fastening their safety harnesses. The driver from the first car craned his neck around.

"Are you all ready?"

He asked, but before anyone could say or do anything to reply, the driver pushed the lever forward, and the rail-cars slowly moved forward. The cars moved slowly along the track out of the station and it slowly gained speed. Slowly. Slowly. Slowly. Then...

**BANG**

it shot off like a bullet.

_[Rail-car broke sound barrier]_

"KYAAAAAHHH!"

Yamato screamed as loud as she could as the speed they were travelling at was rapidly increasing. The twists and turns of the tunnel was not making this easier as the cars were all clearly not going to be staying on the track as they veered sharply around corners. Katsuragi swore that one point the entire train flew off the tracks for a good 5 seconds. Correction, not flying, free falling.

_[Daisuke has fainted]_

_[Hitomi has vomited]_

_[Imagery's rope has snapped]_

_[Imagawa is currently missing]_

_[Yamato has gained 'High Octave Scream' skill]_

_[Yamato has learned 'eardrum shattering scream' skill]_

_[Katsuragi received heavy damage to ears]_

_[Katsuragi is now deaf]_

_[Party has fainted]_


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Sorry for the delay, various things kept me from posting. I was planning to publish a new story for Strike Witches like promised but that has to be put on hold for the moment. Less than two weeks to go before I'm entering the military service so I'm going to focus on this story as much as possible for I go. Thanks for reading and reviewing as always.

The new style is suppose to mirror the old RPG Dragon Quest style of gaming. I found it extremely fun to use in writing. I will using references to a lot of games and anime. From time to time I will also use some memes that are commonly found floating around the internet. Because it is fun.

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 13_

_Red Flag_

The rail cars pulled into the last station, Big Site, where the most activity the recruits had ever seen. The entire platform was bursting with life, SSS2 guild members as well as members of other divisions were all walking about and the noise generated by both the people and the machines was quite loud. It was almost like being at the most busiest port market. Looking at this place made any other part of the SSS2 looked like a ghost town. The recruits got up from the rail car and stared in wonder at what they were seeing. Of course, they were somewhat lost in this place as Imagawa was no longer around with them, having been blown off somewhere along the way. The Guild members from the first rail car were already gone, having completed their job they headed off somewhere into the crowd. The recruits felt somewhat odd, being lost in this place, and so they decided to head in to find anyone who could help them. But somehow or rather, help came to them.

"T-there y-you g-guys a-are."

That familiar stammer made them turn and they saw Fort member Rio. The very same one who got lost the moment she stepped out of the briefing room. How did she get here before them?

"T-this way."

She said, leading them towards the elevator. This was a surprise for them since for once, she actually guided them correctly. As the group got into a large grated elevator, they wondered just what sort of place was this Big Site. Oddly enough, Rio had gotten hold of another guide to help them in Big Site. The guide closed the elevator door and pressed the last button on the panel. The elevator jerked to a start and slowly descended downwards. The elevator was plunged into darkness as it went through the ground though the sole dim light of the elevator helped.

"Big Site is the place where we produce the large majority of our weapons and ammunition. While Guild is responsible for creating weapons, they are unable to mass produce thus any weapon that needs to be mass produced and ammunitions as well come to us."

The guide explained.

"The Battle of Big Site five years ago had caused major damage to the organization and the five leaders were debating on whether to close Big Site for good but in the end it was decided that Big Site had to stay open in order for us to fight. Thus it has remained as such."

Just as the guide said that, the elevator finally escaped the darkness of the tunnel and entered a large cavern. Large would be an understatement as the recruits were shocked and amazed at the sight before them. It was a giant city living underground. The noise and bustling sounds of people below made it clear that this was where the majority of SSS2 members would be at.

"Big Site was initially a giant empty cavern with a large crater. We know that the previous SSS blew up their large factory in order to prevent their enemy from finding it. Boss commissioned her then right hand man, Fudou Akira, to rebuild Big Site and to ensure that it was operational. Unfortunately shortly after its completion, Fudou Akira lost his life together with many others in the battle of Big Site. However we quickly recovered and became fully operational after three months."

The elevator touched down at the bottom and the guide opened the elevator doors to reveal a giant market like scene. People were bustling about, shouts of store owners trying to sell different equipments were drowning each other out, food stalls were cooking up delicious food and lastly the sounds of giant machinery.

"Before I guide you to the equipment store, I think you four should rest up a little."

The guide noted their tattered state.

"There is an onsen here and you may use it if you like."

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

"ONSEN? !"

The four recruits exclaimed in surprise. That was slow. The guide smiled, as though being used to it.

"Yes, commissioned by the boss and took three years to build. Our onsen is fairly large and nice to soak in. Let me guide you there."

The guide gestured them to follow him, and to make sure that no one gets lost, the guide handed them each a map.

"Try not to rely on this map too much. It is a mere vague interpretation that is more of a security measure to prevent NPCs from knowing too much about this place should one of these maps fall into their hands."

The guide explained and true enough, the map was crudely done, almost like how a five year old would draw a map. The guide led them through the crowded streets towards the other end of the city, passing through the market square and then the central square. Katsuragi noticed a large statue in the central square of a young man. On the plaque below the words 'Founder and Saviour of Big Site, Fudou Akira'. So that was how he looked like. Katsuragi only thought of one thing. Scrawny. Maybe looks can be deceiving. They continued along the path through the central square and into the housing district where rows of housing structures were lined up in neat rows.

This area was by far the least crowded and the number of people slowly thinned as they reached the far end of the cavern where before the recruits stood an imposing structure. A giant archway stood guard before the entrance like a fearsome guard watching them as they entered the imposing structure. It looked more like a Chinese palace with four giant pagodas towering at four corners than anything else. The interior, however was a vast contrast to what they saw outside. The interior was floored with marble, the desks were polished wood, lounges with leather seats. The interior was like a five star hotel lobby. SSS2 members were walking about in yukata, talking cheerfully with each other, drinking bottled milk or relaxing in the massage chairs.

"There are different levels to the baths and since now isn't the peak hour, most of the baths would be empty. I highly recommend the 'deluxe' level on the top floors. They are the largest and probably the best ones to relax in. They are usually reserved for the higher ranking members, but during non-peak hours, it is open to everyone."

The guide explained as they approached the front desk.

"Welcome to Big Site onsen. Please present your ID card and receive your yukata. Recruits would get their first entry free, but after that each entry costs from 25 MT to 200 MT."

The receptionist said with a smile. Each member did as they were told and they received a yukata that seemed to fit them nicely.

"There are changing rooms on the right and left, please change into your yukata there. We recommend recruits to exercise caution as the upper level changing rooms tend to be used by the higher ranking members. Each pagoda tower has a different theme to them so you might want to try a different one each time."

The receptionist informed them, in which Katsuragi figured that this was probably a marketing ploy to get them to return each time to try out a new bath. With each pagoda having at least five floors, that would make it twenty different baths. Throw in the general large baths in the main building, you would get twenty two baths in total.

"Oi, Katsuragi, we're heading to the 'Genbu' tower first."

Daisuke said, shaking Katsuragi from his thoughts. He looked to Yamato and Hitomi who were quite excited about the entire thing as they were too busy discussing about the baths while looking at a guide map of the place.

"Genbu?"

Katsuragi wondered out loud.

"Yeah, that is the Northern tower. Kusanagi said that there is a special sulphur bath there. Good for the skin, apparently."

"..."

Good for the skin. Not exactly what Katsuragi needed, but he guessed there was nothing else he could do. Off to Genbu tower then.

_[Big Site Guide left party]_

_[Rio left party]_

* * *

The Northern tower was pretty much empty when the recruits got there. It was also quite a walk from the main building as the four pagodas were connected to the main building only by an enclosed hallway on the first floor. The average walk took them five minutes for the entire walkway to the pagoda, which prompted Yamato and Hitomi to head straight for the ground floor baths.

"Hey, do you want to peak on them?"

Daisuke nudged Daisuke with a perverted look on his face. While Katsuragi did not really want to do it, he was quite tired from all of that walking. So what should he do?

A) Peek

B) Inch over to peek

C) Creep over to peek

"..."

There was something wrong with those choices. Was it Daisuke's influence? He better hope not.

"Choose D) "

A voice behind him spoke up, making Katsuragi jump a little. He turned around and saw a familiar face smiling at him. With her long hair and right sleeve rolled up, the 'big-sister' figure of Division six, Takamachi Yukari stood there with a wide grin.

"T-Takamachi-san?"

"Ou! It is me indeed!"

She laughed heartily while patting Katsuragi on the shoulder with her monstrous strength.

_[Katsuragi received 10 dmg]_

_[Katsuragi received 10 dmg]_

_[Katsuragi received 10 dmg]_

_[Katsuragi received 10 dmg]_

_[Katsuragi received 10 dmg]_

"So? Having trouble deciding? Why not take the top floor? It's extremely grand and usually costs 500 MT to use it unless you're of a certain rank."

Yukari suggested. Katsuragi wanted to decline the offer, but he suddenly heard screams from the ground floor baths and multiple gunshots from within.

_[Daisuke received critical damage]_

_[Daisuke is heavily beaten up]_

_[Daisuke is in critical condition]_

_[Daisuke is dead]_

Katsuragi then decided that perhaps the top floor doesn't seem like such a bad idea as of now.

"But... what is Takamachi-san doing here?"

Katsuragi wondered.

"Me? I was just delivering a black band. Decided to take this chance to relax a little then I saw you guys. Well, I don't really like luxurious baths, so I'll go take the ground floor bath. Sounds like they're having fun in there. See ya, kiddo!"

Yukari smiled and headed off into the baths. Fun? What was fun about Daisuke caught trying to peek and getting shot? A small figure suddenly moved past Katsuragi at fast speeds and stopped by the door, peering inside. Another pervert? But this time, it was a young doll-like girl with pale blue hair. If Katsuragi remembered correctly, she was the second in command for the Intelligence division. Why was she here-

"ONEE-SAMA!"

She suddenly jumped up and dashed inside the baths without warning.

"Oh? If it isn't Iris-chan. What are you doing here? Care to join me for a bath?"

Yukari's voice came from within.

"OF COURSE! I WILL FOLLOW ONEE-SAMA ANYWHERE!"

Iris's loud voice responded without missing a beat.

"Ha ha ha! Good! Recruits! Let's enter together and have some good female bonding!"

Katsuragi decided that right about now, he should just head up. No point in staying around to listen in when the possibility of death was high.

* * *

Looking at the entrance to the grand baths, Katsuragi had to wonder who in their right mind would waste time and effort to build something like this. The entrance was shining with gold statues of oriental dragons, western angels and a whole lot of other rubbish. It was so... grand and unique that Katsuragi had no idea how to describe it. Confusing was probably the best word to use. Ignoring the decorations outside, Katsuragi stepped into the changing room and saw that no one was inside. But damn, the interior was just as grand as the entrance. Not to mention huge. Just how luxurious were places the leaders living in suppose to be? No wonder they didn't want to leave this World. They were living the good life. Katsuragi undressed himself and placed his things into a basket before heading into the baths with a towel over his shoulder. Over the moment he stepped in-

"..."

"..."

Katsuragi did not know what to expect nor how to react when he first stepped into the baths. Alright, looking around it was an extremely grand bath with Greek temple style pillars around the central bath. The baths themselves had lion fixtures on the walls pouring hot water into the deep pool that gave off a majestic and welcoming feeling. There were bars and sofas and benches for people to sit, drink, talk and enjoy life. Or what life they had left. Fruits in lavish bowls, a pyramid made from chocolate truffles, champagne bottles in coolers, all awaiting someone to indulge in them and relax like kings. Ah yes, the splendours of life. Also, the naked body of a certain sixth division leader could also be seen standing before Katsuragi in all of her lovely, beautiful splendour. Ah yes, life was great.

_[Kurogane Kou flag raised]_

_[Kurogane Kou event started]_

"..."

Katsuragi just stared.

"..."

Kurogane Kou stared back.

"..."

Katsuragi stared more.

"..."

Kurogane Kou stared back some more. Since this is quite boring, let us just say this exchange of silence lasted a full minute.

"... Sorry, it was my mistake."

Katsuragi said, bowing a little and going back into the dressing room. Closed the door behind him. Put on his robes. Stepped outside of the baths. Turned around. The sign on the outside said 'MEN'. It was the character 'MAN' read as 'MAN', spelt as 'MAN'. No matter which direction you looked at it, it was 'MAN'.

"... Right."

Katsuragi nodded to no one in particular and stepped back into the changing room. Unrobed himself, grabbed the bath towel and opened the door to the baths once more.

"..."

"..."

Once again, Katsuragi and Kou were staring at each other. Both in an attire that would not be strange in the bath but would be strange and extremely awkward on the streets.

"... Hi."

He raised a hand.

"..."

Kou made no move or any sign of her acknowledging his existence. Katsuragi felt his mind blank, so he decided to do the thing that he came to do. Bath. He walked over to the shower station and sat down on the stool. He reached over and poured soap onto his hand before proceeding to wash his hair with it.

"... That is for body. This is for hair."

Kou's emotionless voice said behind him. He turned around and saw her standing behind him with the correct soap in her hand.

"Ah, thank you."

He took the bottle and poured the right soap onto his hand. Scrub his hair-

"... DAAAHH!"

He screamed as he stood up, face turning extremely red.

"Hm?"

Kou raised an eyebrow at him.

"Y-you! W-why are you here? !"

"I'm here for a bath."

Kou replied in a matter-of-fact manner.

"That's not the point! Don't you have any shame?"

Kou look down at herself, then to him. Her eyes went lower down and her expression shifted slightly from emotionless to... nothing. That is a big blow to a man. Any man.

"... sigh."

Kou muttered and looked away in utter boredom.

_[Katsuragi received 999999 damage to self-esteem]_

As expected of a division leader. What a strong attack.

"That's not the point!"

Katsuragi shouted to no one in particular before running out of the baths with only a bath towel around his waist to protect any form of indecency. He ran out of the baths without putting on his robes and into the hallway. It was there where Katsuragi stumbled upon someone else.

"Ah."

"Ah."

_[Encounter: 6th division second in command, Amatsu Len]_

"You're that new recruit from that time. So you're finally a member of-... WAAAHH! PUT ON SOME CLOTHES!"

Len screamed at him.

"Yes, that is the right reaction."

Katsuragi pointed out before a pistol was pressed to his head.

_[Katsuragi died]_

_[Katsuragi has gained title: pervert flasher]_

_[Katsuragi has revived]_

"That was fast. As expected of a pervert."

Len muttered.

"That's not really the point."

"So? Care to explain why you ran out into the hallway with only a bath towel on?"

Len asked, crossing her arms while her finger was still on the trigger of her pistol. Depending on his answer, Katsuragi might get shot again, or so was the message he got from Len's eyes.

"Well, you might want to ask why your division leader is inside the male baths."

_[Katsuragi is shot]_

"Y-you shot me either way."

Katsuragi muttered.

"Right right-... wait, did you say... CAPTAIN!"

Len rushed into the men's bath to confront Kou who just stepped back into the changing room.

"Len... Did you get the necessary supplies?"

Kou asked her second in command while slipping on her shirt.

"Ah, yes I did-.. But that's not it! Why are you in the male bath? !"

"Because it was closer to the stairs."

Kou answered flatly.

"The female baths is only a few steps away! And you need to dry yourself properly before putting on your clothes!"

Len proceeded to grab a towel to dry her leader's hair. Kou, on the other hand, did not seem to even register that anything was happening and continued to put on her clothes. Katsuragi stepped back into the changing room just as Kou was done changing. The leader of sixth division stared at Katsuragi for the moment.

"... Your bath towel... it's red."

She pointed out. Katsuragi looked down saw that she was right. His bath towel was soaked with his own blood.

"Don't dirty... the water."

Kou warned before leaving the changing room with Len chasing after her with a towel.

"... Don't dirty the water... out of all things she had to warn me about, why that?"

Katsuragi wondered aloud. It was obvious not to do it, but why did she warn him? Katsuragi sighed, shaking his head to clear his thoughts. He was thinking too much again.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Alright, so the previous chapter was too random. Now we're going to slowly get back into serious mode.

My previous mailing account had been more or less permanently blocked off and because hotmail is being stupid, recovery is impossible. So I had to reactivate three of my back-up accounts. Check my profile to see what is the new mailing account for this fanfiction account.

Rio's words kept activating the spell check. It's annoying.

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 14_

_Of Blood and Gun Oil_

The recruits for Fort gathered once more at the lobby of the main building, having changed back into their uniforms and met their guide. Surprisingly, Iwagawa Jin had reappeared and was waiting for them at the entrance as well. His uniform was extremely beaten up and torn though. He also had an extremely sour face, so the recruits decided not to ask anything about it.

_[Imagawa Jin joins party]_

_[Big Site Guide joins party]_

_[Rio joins party]_

The group left the baths and headed down the street of the housing district back to the busy market place.

"Sergeant Imagawa, would you want to take a break for lunch before continuing?"

The guide suggested, to which Imagawa glared at the guide.

"Huh? Are you trying to order me around, you punk?"

Imagawa shot rudely. But Rio suddenly pulled on Jin's sleeve, drool coming from her mouth as her eyes shone brightly with hope and hunger.

"... You want to eat?"

Jin asked, to which Rio nodded vigorously.

"... I see... sigh, fine. We'll go eat."

Jin sighed in defeat. Rio jumped for joy as the group now headed for the market section. The market was busy with shops selling various goods and people bustling about to buy supplies. The guide took the group through the busy crowds and headed towards the part of the market which had food stalls. The smell was strong and fragrant as the recruits were exposed to food from all over Japan. Snacks from Okinawa all the way to Hokkaido, different flavours of ramen and even each region's speciality was on display. It was certainly a grand sight to behold. Also, it was quite an impact on the nose.

_[Party is confused by the multiple smells]_

_[Daisuke is confused]_

_[Daisuke injures himself]_

"I recommend this store."

The guide pointed to one particular store and it was probably the most crowded store in this area, not to mention the largest number of seating.

"This store is actually the favourite store of the sixth division leader, Kurogane Kou. She particularly likes the yakitori and takoyaki here."

The guide smiled, just as the recruits noticed someone walking out of the store with four bags of food in her hand and a stick of grilled meat in her mouth. Kurogane Kou, the division six leader herself had just stepped out of the store and stared blankly at the recruits. The fearsome leader of the legendary and enigmatic sixth division. Even though she was holding onto four bags of food and having a stick in her mouth as well, she was still able to exude a fearsome presence. Her eyes were cold and dark. It was like staring into the depths of death itself. The recruits all felt shivers travel down their spines as Kou eyed each of them separately. Then she-

"... mgfdmh"

.

.

.

.

.

"... HUH?"

The recruits stared at Kou who was, as usual, expressionless.

"Captain! How many times must I tell you not to leave without paying."

Amatsu Len ran out of the store after Kou and noticed that the recruits were there.

"... mmgfghf."

Kou said, though talking wasn't exactly what she was doing. Len stared at Kou for awhile and the leader merely looked at Len back.

"...Ahem... My captain wishes me to tell you recruits that the grilled skins here are very good."

Len said, clearly not very happy about doing this. But in the first place, how did she get so much information from such a short sentence?

"...gmfgmfgmmd."

"Er... She wishes you all to respect the store owner's wishes and only buy what you need."

"...gmfmmhmgm."

"... She is an exception."

Len added though something told the recruits that that wasn't what Kou was saying. As proof, Kou took one of the bags and swung it at Len's head, knocking the second in command square in the head.

"Ow! Okay okay! ... Captain wants me to tell you recruits that you must always finish what you order. That's all."

Was that really necessary? Kou nodded and walked off, somewhat satisfied, and Len went off chasing after her. Again.

"... Right, shall we enter?"

The guide said, turning the attention of the group back to the shop. Yes, that is a much better idea. The store was a large and busy place with not a lot of room to walk about. The guide managed to get a booth table by the other end of the shop, a good spot judging by its proximity to the serving counter.

"I shall just get the recommended few."

The guide said, getting up and heading over to the counter to order the food. Imagawa used this time to instruct the recruits on additional things that they would need to know.

"Remember that Big Site is the main place to gather supplies like ammunition. Word of advice is not to trust some of the vendors here though. There were cases in the past where some people tried to create new weapons without proper direction and permission from Himura and sold them off to SSS2 members. These weapons can and will explode in your hand causing death, or worse, injury. It is important to note that Shadows can still convert you while you are still alive, being dead is better off than being injured. Always keep one bullet out of a magazine."

Imagawa pulled out a single bullet from his shirt pocket.

"In case you are cornered and out of ammunition to fight, you can still prevent yourself from being converted. Load it into your gun-"

Imagawa pulled out his pistol, took out the magazine and pulled back the slide, slotting the bullet from his shirt pocket into the chamber manually, pressed the loaded gun to his temple.

"... and shoot. There is no cure for conversions and those who manage to turn back always prefer the bullet than going through another round of torture. Look around you."

Imagawa pointed around to the people in this store. Katsuragi and the others then noticed it. Most people kept one bullet out. Most tied it with a chain around their neck, some kept it in gloves, or pouches. But everyone had a spare bullet out somewhere easily accessible. Was it this extreme?

"Of course, if you meet an Angel, there isn't any helping you, dead or not."

The guide returned with a tray of plates that were piled high with the meat on sticks and drinks. The smell was incredible for the recruits. The guide tripped slightly, stumbling at the table and knocking Imagawa's arm.

_[Imagawa's gun went off]_

_[Imagawa is now dead]_

"Right, so these are the famous grilled chicken skins that the sixth division leader talked about."

The guide pointed out, pushing Imagawa's body aside to take a seat himself. The entire event with Imagawa's gun did not even cause a stir. Rio happily grabbed a few sticks into her mouth and shoved them in without hesitation. An extremely satisfied smile shone brightly from her face.

"While you cannot die, it does not mean you cannot get injured or sick. I would not eat so many sticks like your senpai here does."

The guild warned the recruits, who all nodded.

"Since Imagawa is currently out of action, I will continue to explain some basics to you. In this World, you can still suffer from illness, so taking care of your health is very important. Once a month, you will have to report to the Medics of Fort to have your health checked on. It isn't pleasant what they do to check, but at least it is better than falling sick and being vulnerable to attacks. Angels and Shadows are more likely to attack a sick person than a normal person, so you have to watch out."

The recruits all nodded as they ate while listening to the guide.

"Big Site does have its own medical team and they are less... extreme, in their examinations, resulting in more people coming down here to get checked rather than the Fort's medical team. Of course, the medical team here needs to be paid while the medical team in Fort does it for free."

Not sure if that was really important, but the recruits guessed it served some purpose to remember that.

"There are many more things you will learn as you stay longer in the organization. Either way, take your time learn them. You have all the time in the World."

* * *

After eating their fill, the recruits were led out of the store and headed straight for the supply centre. Contrary to what the recruits had first thought, the supply centre wasn't exactly well organized. Unlike its name, the supply centre was more like a warehouse stocked to the brim with weapons. A group of Provisions members were at the entrance of the warehouse with a small desk at the entrance. The desk had a few computers set up there and several SSS2 members were waiting in line. A SSS2 member would approach the counter, present his or her card and the Provisions member behind the desk would scan the card in the computer. The computer would then display the SSS2 member's list of authorized weapons, which is also displayed out on larger screens around the warehouse. The other Provision members would then enter the warehouse and after awhile reappear with the ammunitions for the weapons.

"To be given access to additional weapons, you must first go to Guild and approach a fitter. The fitters would determine what sort of weapon you are eligible for by looking at your rank and service records. You would then need to pay the fitter the amount corresponding to the new weapon you are taking before it would be entered into the database. You can collect your new weapon and ammunitions here. Since your four are from Fort, warehouse 1 would be the place where you would collect your weapons and ammunitions."

The guild guide explained.

"Assault uses warehouse 2, diversion uses 3, and intelligence uses 4."

The guide pointed to the additional warehouses by the sides.

"What about Guild and the Guardians?"

Yamato asked. The Guide nodded and smiled at that question.

"How sharp. Yes, Guild and division six are the only two divisions without any warehouses for weapons. For Guild, since we are the ones to create the weapons, we have free access to any and all weapons. We are also capable of rejecting any orders that come in from other divisions, so unless you want to find yourselves without weapons and ammunitions, you have to start treating Guild like the most important place to you. The only thing we ask is protection from Shadows and Angels, as well as a prompt and exact payment when we ask for it."

That was quite a statement. While it was true that it was the right thing to do to pay them correctly and on time, this ruling was a little more like blackmail.

"As for division six, they do not officially exist."

"What?"

It was Katsuragi's turn to be surprised.

"Division six is made up of members from all divisions. The leader of one of the division six squads is actually from Guild. A member of division six would use the same warehouse as the division they used to be in. In addition to being allowed a 50 percent discount on all weapons and ammunitions, division six members also have the privilege of getting any weapon they want without consulting a fitter. While it does seem extremely good to be a division six member, you have to remember this. Division six members are the best of the best within the Organization. They are constantly sent out to every battle and operation. They are also the black arm of this organization, doing the jobs that no one else wants to do or that nobody else can do. They hunt down traitors, fight Shadows even though heavily outnumbered, and most importantly, they are our first and only line of defence against Angels."

The group fell silent at that. Angels, the worst and most powerful enemy that this organization had ever faced. While Katsuragi had not yet fought an Angel, he could very well gauge their strength by reports and comparing them to Shadows.

"Putting that gloomy piece of information aside, you need to remember that normal weapons cost a certain amount of MT relative to the type and strength of weapon. Special dirt and essences would be necessary to craft special items and weapons. For those cases, you need to go to a fitter at Guild rather than coming down here to Big Site. While Big Site does offer the services to craft special weapons, it is better to go back to Guild to craft the basic form. Big Site can do additional add-ons or modifications but enhancing is still left to the Fitters. Well, enough about that. You recruits would not be using those services for a while. For now, let's get your weapons from the store."

The group was led to the front counter of the warehouse and they got into line for their weapons and ammunition. As he got closer to the counter, the more Katsuragi realized the immense size of the warehouse. This wasn't a warehouse per se anymore, but rather more like a small country. The warehouse was so large that Katsuragi would need to turn his head to let his eyes capture the entire building. Its presence was terrifying, to be honest, and all of the recruits felt a sense of intimidation just standing there. This was large beyond large. This was well beyond the boundaries of sanity and well into the realm of ridiculous.

"Next."

Katsuragi stepped up and handed the Provisions member behind the counter his card. The young man took the card and swiped it in a card reader by his computer. A moment later, his details were displayed up on the large screen above the warehouse door and the list of weapons he was to use. His Beretta 92 was the first on the list, followed by a SAR-21.

"Hmm, a SAR-21. Haven't had that in a long time."

The young man behind the counter muttered. A minute later, two provisions members emerged from the warehouse with a cart of weapons and ammunitions on it. They rolled the cart over to the desk and dropped his new rifle on the table, as well as five new clips for his pistol and four clips for his rifle. The provisions member behind the counter took the rifle, slotted a new clip in it and pulled the slide back, chambering a new round. He did not turn around as he pointed the rifle towards his back and fired one shot. Katsuragi now realized that there was a target bulls-eye pinned up at the back on the wall. So far all of the holes were centred in the middle of the paper. The young man was an excellent shot. He brought the rifle back to the counter and nodded.

"Good, it works. Alright, you get four new clips for rifle and five for the pistol. These are on the house for recruits but next time bring some MT. Right, next."

Katsuragi took his rifle and new ammunitions and left the counter, heading back up the path to join up with the rest of his group who had all collected their new weapons.

_[Katsuragi obtained SAR-21 ( +10 atk) ]_

_[Katsuragi obtained four rifle clips]_

_[Katsuragi obtained five pistol clips]_

_[Daisuke obtained FN 2000 assault rifle ( +10 atk) ]_

_[Daisuke obtained four rifle clips]_

_[Daisuke obtained five pistol clips]_

_[Yamato obtained Mossberg 930 semi-automatic shotgun ( +20 atk) ]_

_[Yamato obtained 100 shotgun shells]_

_[Yamato obtained five pistol clips]_

_[Hitomi obtained H&K UMP sub-machine gun ( +8 atk) ]_

_[Hitomi obtained four sub-machine gun clips]_

_[Hitomi obtained five pistol clips]_

It was quite an interesting thing to see, students with guns. Almost like some sort of bad news report of riots and civil unrest in the World.

"Right, let's head back to Fort."

Imagawa said and the group headed back to the rail-car depot and was soon able to catch the next ride out of Big Site.

"Thank you for visiting Big Site, and hope you all enjoyed your stay. See you soon!"

The guide cheerfully waved at the recruits as their rail-car left the station.

"He's rather upbeat."

Hitomi noted.

"He's one of the representatives of Big Site."

Imagawa explained, strapping two ropes to himself this time round.

"Big Site is too large to be handled by one person alone, even though it is supposedly under the right hand of Yuuko. Takako is unable to handle it like her predecessor did so she gets four others to help her run it. That guy is one of them, so of course he would be excited about showing it off to others."

So there were many more aspects to Big Site than they first thought. Katsuragi had wonder just how all of this was going to play out for him. Just what would await him by following on this path? Would he find the answers to his own identity? Or merely walk along the path of destruction. He really did not know, but felt somewhere inside of him that perhaps he did not want to know.

_[Rail-car broke sound barrier]_

_[Imagawa's ropes snapped]_

_[Imagawa is now missing]_

_[Party has fainted]_

* * *

The group regained consciousness when the rail-cars pulled into Guild and the group alighted at the station, noticing that something was going on at Guild. Rio approached one of the members of Shield who was preparing some weapons by the side to ask what was going on.

"Tunnel F4 has some unusual Shadows lurking within. Tunnel is off-limits until we clear it."

The Shield member explained. Rio nodded.

"W-what l-level of d-danger?"

"Level 5. It might take some time so if you were heading towards Fort, I would recommend taking tunnel F2. It would lead you towards the far end of Fort but at least it still links there."

"T-thank y-you."

Rio bowed and went back to the recruits, who heard pretty much everything.

"So, the shadows from when we entered the tunnel are still alive? This is troubling."

Hitomi said and the others nodded in agreement.

"Though what is level five danger?"

Yamato asked.

"I can answer that."

A young woman walked up to them. She had only worn the bottom part of the guild overalls and had the sleeves of the top half of the overalls tied around her waist. Chewing on a long metal stick, it was none other than the mad Boss of Guild herself, Himura Yuuko.

"You recruits need to know that in Guild, we classify the danger levels more strictly and sensitive than other divisions due to the importance of our division's work. Level one is the lowest while level ten is the highest. By level three and beyond, we call upon Shield to clear out the tunnels. Level five requires us to burn the soil in the tunnel after clearing. Level eight would require us to flame the entire tunnel and all subsections and connecting tunnels. Level ten would need us to detonate everything."

Yuuko explained in a nonchalant manner, as though this was all routine. In actual fact it probably was.

"Anyway, you recruits need to use F2. It's down over by the Fitter's store house. See you around, kids. Try not to die so early."

With that, the boss of Guild left the recruits and headed over to tunnel F4. Most likely to give aid or to oversee the cleansing. Something told Katsuragi that Yuuko took this rather seriously, even if her words and expression did not show it. This was something she needed to oversee personally and that must be something worth a lot to her. Just what did these people suffer before getting to this point?

"I-if H-Himura-san is g-going to t-take part, w-we s-should g-go."

Rio urged the recruits, much to their puzzlement.

"Is level five that dangerous?"

Yamato wondered.

"N-no... H-Himura-san's s-special w-weapon i-is t-too d-dangerous to b-be a-around."

"Special weapon? You mean-"

It could only mean that Yuuko held one of the five 'SSS' ranked weapons. And if Rio said it was dangerous, then it must be. But just what was that weapon? While Katsuragi felt the urge to know, his curiosity was easily overpowered by the instinct to run away. In the short time he had spent with the organization, he knew just how powerful and crazy the boss of Guild was. Combined with one of the most powerful weapon ever created in this World and her current serious demeanour, nothing good would ever come out of this.

* * *

"... Have they gone?"

Yuuko asked, chewing on her stick while she leaned back on the sand bags that made the barricade.

"Yes boss. We have also evacuated all surrounding tunnels and sealed off the entire area."

The shield member reported. Yuuko nodded and closed her eyes. Level five was a lie. This was a level eight disaster and Yuuko wanted to end this herself.

"... Kaoru-chii... I'm really sorry."

Yuuko smiled sadly as she looked at the torn piece of fabric in her hand. On it was the badge of the SSS2 and the rank of a corporal.

"I should never have let them release those Shadows. I ignored Kyou's report on the new Shadows... and lost a good battalion of Shield... but-"

Yuuko's hand clenched onto the cloth tightly as she opened her eyes and narrowed them at the tunnel ahead. Her eyes filled with anger and hate.

"I will NOT LET THEM DO AS THEY PLEASE."

She out-stretched her right hand to the ground.

"I am the great vastness of the Earth. I demand all and give out none. I am the devourer of all life and the fall of men. I live for none but myself. Forever chained by the cycle of the sin of society, I am the bringer of the plague of eternal hatred and war. I. AM. GREED."

From her hand, a slight glow started to form. The ground under her started to crack.

"**EXEC_ANGELPROGRAM: / / / SYSTEM_LINK WEAPONS_ACCESS \ HAMMER_OF_HEPHAESTUS; ACTIVATE**"

The glow from her right hand gathered and the ground burst open, dirt shooting up towards her hand and formed a physical object in the shape of a hammer. A rather large hammer at that.

"... Ne, Shin-chii."

Yuuko called to the Shield member by her side, who, like the hundred over Shield members behind Yuuko were gearing up for a battle.

"Yes boss?"

He answered as a low rumbling sound started to echo from the tunnel.

"You guys don't need to stay you know."

The rumbling started to grow in volume.

"... Boss, are you going senile? We are Shield. If we can't stand our ground and protect even one tunnel, what good are we? Even in death, we shall always serve the boss."

The thunderous rumbling was soon deafening. Yuuko smirked.

"You little brat. Well then, shall we get this show on the road?"

"... With pleasure."

The Shield member armed his weapon, and all the Shield members behind all did the same. Soon, the first of an entire wave of Shadows emerged from the darkness of the tunnel, charging like a stampede towards the barricade that was spear-headed by one woman with a hammer. The woman merely smiled as she raised her hammer above her head.

"Right then, let's get this show on the road. **EXEC_ANGELPROGRAM: / / / SYSTEM_LINK WEAPONS_SKILL \ BABYLON; ACTIVATE**"


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: Er... Oops. It seems like I may have made a mistake. A lot of you readers are expecting me to write out the battle between Yuuko and the horde of Shadows. Unfortunately... no. I'll leave it up to your imagination to decide what happened. I'll just give you guys the aftermath report. Also, a reader prompted me to write out a status page some of the characters. I had done so for another fic and my blog had done a rather crude one. So in addition to the battle report, I will also put out the stats on some of the more important people. Those who have yet to show their power will not have their stats revealed.

* * *

Battle Report:

Casualties: 150 Shield members

Survivors: 1

Enemies: 500 Shadows; infantry type

Enemy count by time of battle:  
-500 (00:00:00)  
-450 (00:00:01)  
-350 (00:00:02)  
-200 (00:00:03)  
-50 (00:00:04)  
-0 (00:00:05)

Action report:

-Guild Division leader Himura Yuuko activated Angel Program: Hammer of Hephaestus

-Guild Division leader Himura Yuuko activated Hammer skill: Babylon

-Due to explosive nature of Babylon, all 150 shield members were killed instantly by their own boss before the battle begun

-All Shadows eliminated within five seconds of Babylon activation

Aftermath:

-Tunnel F4 severely weakened and will need to be closed off till repairs are made

-Torching of tunnel F4 commenced after battle

-estimated time till F4 can be reopened: 2 weeks

End Report

Report made by Intelligence Division for archiving.

* * *

[Angel Program SSS2 Division leader archives]

[Accessing Division leader records]

[Access denied]

[Rerouting]

[...]

[...]

[...]

[Access granted]

[Displaying records of Division 4 leader: Kinoji Awase]

Name: Kinoji Awase

Age at death: 17

Sex: Female

Height and Weight: 158 cm 45 kg

Division: 4, Diversion

Alignment: Neutral Good; Sloth

Weapons: Sig Sauer (rank C), Rabbit Hole (rank SSS), Rabbit Foot (rank SSS)

Strength: B

Agility: E (Utilizing Wonderland, Agility becomes A)

Endurance: E

Luck: S

Abilities:

-Sleep anywhere (rank A)

-Wonderland (rank SS)

* * *

[Displaying records of Division 2 leader: Himura Yuuko]

Name: Himura Yuuko

Age at death: 16

sex: Female

Height and Weight: 160 cm and 48 kg

Division: 2, Guild

Alignment: Chaotic neutral, Greed

Weapons: Switch of dropping (rank A), Bakuhou (rank A), Remington 1100 shotgun (rank B), M60 Machine gun (rank B), Taurus Tracker revolver (rank B), Hammer of Hephaestus (rank SSS), Anvil of Hephaestus (rank SSS)

Strength: A

Agility: C

Endurance: A

Luck: F

Abilities:

-Creation (rank A)

-Babylon (rank S)

-Kagutsuchi (rank SS)

-Never-ending cycle (rank SS)

-A.Y.B. (rank SS)

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 15_

_First Request_

Katsuragi walked down the hallway with Yamato next to him as they looked for their squad room. After they got back to Fort from Guild, Rio told them to find their own squad leaders and rooms in order to learn more about their duties. Hitomi was sent to Camelot, so her leader would be Imagawa Jin, though that idiot was more or less out of action at the moment. Rio told Hitomi that she should report to the second in command, a girl who had more sense than Imagawa and was the actual real person holding authority in that squad. As for Daisuke, he was assigned to the relief squad of Little Busters whose leader was a person called Riki. And so the four recruits separated to head towards their own squads.

However Katsuragi and Yamato were both assigned to the same squad and as such they headed towards the same place. There an awkward silence between the two as they were probably thinking the same thing. 'Why is he/she still here?' Unbeknownst to the two, the reason they were put in the same division was due to the influence of none other than the Queen of Fort herself, Taeno Yuki. The two finally reached the room which served the Wolves. It looked like most other rooms, though just standing outside of the doors was more than enough to feel that a sense of fear that would petrify anyone daring to enter. Yamato and Katsuragi swallowed hard before reaching out to the door knob.

The door swung open and the two were greeted by a strange sight. Within this room were large sofas lined around in various positions. Cupboards, bookshelves and lockers adorned the sides of the room while tables covered with documents and weapons lay scattered throughout the place. One large central table was in the middle of the room with a large map of the school spread out on it. The room had at least twenty people within it, all turning their sharp gazes to the new recruits who had just opened the door but have yet dared to enter. Katsuragi and Yamato stared at the room, not sure of what to do and all of the members within the room were simply staring back at the recruits. Studying them. The silence was extremely tense and Katsuragi could his own heartbeat.

"Ah, its the new recruits. Welcome!"

A familiar voice called out, breaking the tense moment. Stepping out from the back of the room was a face that Katsuragi and Yamato had seen before. With his cheeky look and sharp eyes, Iori approached them. So he was a member of the Wolves as well.

"So the two of you are going to join the Wolf pack from today onwards, right? Good! Come in, come in. No need to stand on ceremony."

Iori gestured for the two to enter and it seemed that whatever Iori did, seemed to dispel the petrification the two recruits had over them. They stepped into the room. The other members of the Wolves all seemed to take an interest in the new recruits, pausing whatever they were doing midway like polishing weapons, loading magazine clips, eating snacks, reading books, practising fighting moves and just lazing around. For now, the tense atmosphere seemed to dissipate a little. Perhaps the Wolves were more welcoming towards their own.

"Good for the two of you to come. At the moment, we only have ten percent of our division here, so you would not be able to meet everyone, but some of the more important people are here."

Iori said, walking over to the side and took two cans of canned coffee and tossed them to the recruits.

"First off, I'm Hasegawa Iori, the leader of the Wolves and the one in-charge of the two of you from today onwards. Let's work well together."

Iori smiled. So he was the leader of the Wolves. That gives Imagawa plenty of reason to fear him.

"Let's see... Ah, that guy cleaning the rocket launcher there is Ishibashi. He's the one in-charge of any fighting that we Wolves handle in our requests. Say hi, Ishibashi."

Iori called out to the large man at the back of the room, who merely nodded and went back to polishing his large rocket launcher.

"He's shy around new members, so don't think of it the wrong way. Next, we have Utada Mari."

Iori pointed to a girl who sat on the sofa sipping on some tea. She smiled at the recruits and waved.

"She's in-charge of organizing the requests that come through, to make sure no one gets a request they can't handle so talk to her if you want to know which request is suitable for you though if you try to take on something that isn't right for you, she would shoot you dead. Don't mess with her ahoge. She can turn into a demon in less time it takes you to say 'crap'. Next is Tomozuki-... where is Tomozuki? Ah, there, that quiet one in the back."

Iori pointed to a guy who was leaning against the wall at one corner, listening to some music with his headphones and ignoring the entire situation in the room.

"That guy is in-charge of networking. He gathers all information from all divisions and squads in order to provide our guys with information. He communicates directly with Throne, Fort's strategist group, so he also doubles as our strategies for squad based requests. There are a couple more people you need to take note of, but those three are the more important ones. Before I continue, let me give you these."

Iori reached into his pocket and pulled out two sets keys, handing them to Katsuragi and Yamato separately.

_[Received Locker Key]_

"These are keys to your own personal lockers over by that end of the room. Each member of the Wolves has their own. Inside, you will find boots to your size. Wolves always wear boots. Some other divisions like the assault division would have squads wearing boots, but we Wolves are the only squad which has everyone wearing boots as part of our squad dress-code. We also carry around this."

Iori fished out a chain around his neck. It had a bullet attached to it like everyone else, but there was one more thing. A fang?

"As proof of being a Wolf, you must collect a bottle of essence, any colour. We would then send it down to the fitters, who compress it and fashion it into a fang. It is to show your very first kill and to mark yourself as a warrior. Being the best of the best in the organization second only to the guardians. Proof that we have been chosen by the Queen herself."

Iori said that with some pride in his words. The other members in the room all seemed to agree.

"Anyway, being a Wolf does not mean we are limited to fighting for Fort. The Wolves are like the Relief squad, only better. The Relief squad is a squad meant to send people to divisions where they lack man power. We Wolves are the same thing, but we are not asked by anyone to help out. We go where ever we like, do whatever we like. Of course, we always make the defence of Fort our priority. Anything Yuki says, we do it without question. We take on requests from all divisions, making us one of the most well-rounded squads. Sleeping quarters for us are in the next four rooms and also in the Dorms. Right, that's it for orientation. Go get your stuff and I'll meet you back here at the request board."

Iori pointed to the side where a giant bulletin board was overcrowded with pinned up papers with requests.

"We're kind of popular, so we're also kind of busy. Might want to hurry up with the change."

* * *

_[Equipped Wolf Boots ( +10 defence) ]_

Katsuragi and Yamato felt a little odd in boots, considering they were wearing shoes throughout the entire time. During the training in the forest, they were wearing boots as well but those were property of the Assault division, being worn and muddy and did not feel too comfortable. These, however, felt great to be in. Comfortable and extremely practical, the only reason why they were odd was because it did not fit with the school uniform.

"Right, over here."

Iori gestured the two of them to go over to where he was. Iori tapped on the board covered with paper.

"This is the request board for us Wolves. The GenRe ones are basically copies of requests sent to all divisions. They are usually pinned at the sides and are the most numerous. SquaRe do not come in often, but are most pinned up in the centre of the board. DiRe are usually handed to us directly by Yuki, so no need to worry about those. ORe are announced throughout the school and we will be briefed by our leaders. Since you two have just started out, take this."

Iori tore a request from the side off the wall and handed it to them. Katsuragi looked over the request.

General Request

Quest giver: Private Mouri Yuu, Guild

Request: Find NPC third year Hanayana Touru and hand him a letter

Time limit: None

Reward: 100 MT

"Once you have gotten a request, you need to find the quest giver and tell them that you are taking on the quest. They would usually explain more about the quest in detail but usually Tomozuki can tell you about it. Once you have completed the request, the reward can be given by the quest giver directly, or you can collect it from here. There is a complicated system where the squads and divisions pay each other for requests, but it has nothing to do with you at the moment. Complete the quest and come back here. Good luck."

_[Accepted (?) quest]_

* * *

"Ah, so you two have accepted my quest. Thank you."

The young guild member bowed to Yamato and Katsuragi when they arrived in Guild to talk to the quest giver, Mouri Yuu. It had seemed that the sealing containment of tunnel F4 was still not complete and so they took the longer route around. As things at Guild were looking normal, Katsuragi guessed that everything was going well.

"Still, to think that members of Yuki's Wolves would come down to take this quest. I feel quite honoured."

Were the Wolves really that special?

"Anyway, I want you to hand this note to Hanayana-senpai. He is usually around the fifth block, around the astrology club. That's his club, by the way. He goes to the rooftop every night to do some night gazing. He goes to the cafeteria every one o'clock and has niku-udon every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. He eats Omu-rice on Tuesday and Thursday-"

Mouri Yuu went on and on about this NPC, showing off a rather extensive knowledgeable background information on this guy. Yamato turned over the letter they got and realized why. She nudged Katsuragi to look and on it was a heart shaped sticker to keep the envelope closed. A love letter. From a stalker.

"-He never wears his indoor shoes when going to the roof and-... ah, look at the time. Anyway, you know where to find him. Come back after you are done and I will give you your reward."

With that finally out of the way, Yamato and Katsuragi left Guild, feeling slightly odd about delivering a letter to an NPC from a stalker.

_[Received Stalker's Love Letter]_

"... Is it odd?"

Yamato asked aloud as they headed back up to Fort.

"Odd? About what?"

"About someone falling in love with an NPC."

Katsuragi also wondered about that. Was it odd? Sure, one was a living soul of a human who had passed away and still had lingering regrets therefore being forced into this weird World of Limbo and forced to fight against monsters that threaten to destroy its very existence for all of eternity, and the other is a mindless brainless and almost fully automated NPC created for some unknown purpose other than to populate this weird World of Limbo and to look pretty. Yes, look pretty. But was it really odd? Alright, considering the way Katsuragi puts it, yes, it is weird. It was like a desperate war refugee falling in love with a vending machine. So what should he say?

a) Yes, it is weird

b) Totally weird

c) Are you nuts?

"... Who knows."

He replied.

_[Katsuragi chose d) ]_

"Hmm... I would think it was alright."

Yamato added, making Katsuragi rather surprised.

"I mean, the NPCs aren't that bad. They aren't machines but they aren't humans either. They are like... I don't know... dolls?"

"... And that is better than machines?"

"No, not that. Well, I knew some weird people when I was alive. Saw a guy who fell in love with a pillow casing."

Yamato said, sighing and shaking her head.

"I guess it is weird. Maybe in light of that, falling in love with an NPC isn't that bad. I think they at least reciprocate your feelings."

"Do they?"

Yamato asked.

"Not sure. But they surely must be. If everything that exists in this World are meant to help us pass on, then if someone wanted to fall in love with the perfect guy, this World should oblige."

"... You know, Katsuragi, you say pretty interesting things."

"Weird?"

Katsuragi asked, to which Yamato merely laughed.

"Definitely."

* * *

The two reached the fifth school block, and as expected it was crowded with NPCs going about their usual business. It was almost like Katsuragi and Yamato were no longer in a battlefield and were in a normal school. But things were never that simple. Katsuragi noticed a few SSS2 members around as well. The diversion division was working hard as usual.

"Well, time to find this person."

Yamato sighed, walking over to the nearest NPC to ask.

"Hanayana-san? He's upstairs, by the astrology club."

The NPC replied to Yamato's inquiry.

"I see, thanks."

Yamato headed off to the stairs with Katsuragi in tow.

"It feels like a rather old RPG adventure game, doesn't it?"

Yamato suddenly said.

"What is?"

"How I can ask any NPC and they would know where another NPC is."

Katsuragi thought about it and found it to be true.

"True... so what, are you expecting an encounter with a metal slime?"

"Ha ha, maybe not something that tough. We're still level one. How about giant rats?"

"Like the start of every bad adventure game?"

"Or were you expecting giant spiders and boars?"

Yamato asked sarcastically.

"I'll take the rats."

"Thought so."

.

.

.

Silence fell between the two once more. Then-

"What about cockroaches?"

**BANG**

_[Katsuragi is dead]_

* * *

After passing the letter, the two headed back to Guild to report back to Mouri Yuu on the progress of the quest.

"Really? You did? That's great! So? What did he say? Was he happy? Did he say anything about the letter? Oh, I wonder what should I wear for our first date!"

Mouri Yuu went off into her own World for a full minute before she got back to the business end of the deal.

"Right, this is what I promised you two. Don't spend it all in one place. But then again this is the only place you can spend it at."

_[Received 100 MT]_

Yamato and Katsuragi went back up to Fort, feeling that their first request was not so much a request for a fellow SSS2 member, but rather a messenger boy for a nut case stalker. The two reached Fort and quickly headed back to the Wolves' room, reporting to Iori of the completion of their first request.

"Really? You're done? That was fast. Well, most GenRe type are like that. Anyway, since the two of you have completed your first job, I guess you can go off on your own. Don't need me to hold your hand forever. Oh, and welcome to the Wolves."


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Hi all, good news! My military enlistment date has been pushed back till August so I'll still be able to put out chapters till then. This chapter has a lot of references to Persona 3 and 4 though most of the chapters are suppose to reference those games as well. I had explained in the previous story that Maeda Jun, the brilliant mastermind behind Angel Beats! and all of those lovely creations of Key, had told people that Angel Beats! was meant to mirror Persona 4 due to his love of the game. If you played the game you would know what I'm talking about. Actually, skip references, this has Persona 3 all over it.

We are soon approaching the mid-point. And yes, we aren't at the mid-point yet, which proves that this story is going to be longer than the previous installment. Hurray, I've accomplished at least one of my goals for this story thus far. Some people express great interest in what the other leaders' stats are. Sorry to say that you will have to wait.

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 16_

_Midnight Despair_

_Back on Earth_

"So tell me once again... how is suppose to help?"

Yuzuru asked, feeling extremely uncertain about this entire situation. As for what sort of situation it was, it would be best described as something horrible. Yuzuru was tied to a chair by rope in the empty clubroom of the SSS. Yuri was standing in front of him with one very large and heavy looking sledge hammer.

"I told you before. I will hit you over the head with this hammer and get you to enter a coma."

Yuri replied in a 'matter-of-fact' manner.

"HOW IS THAT SUPPOSE TO HELP? !"

"Sigh, must I explain it all over again? Look, don't they say that the ones who are most likely to be caught between life and death are those in a coma? So I'll send you into a coma."

"THAT IS THE PART THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE! AND SEND MY INTO A COMA WITH WHAT? !"

"With this sledge hammer of course."

"I'LL DIE!"

"Well, you end up back in that place either way, so isn't it fine?"

"NO! I still have things I want to fulfil in this life!"

"Isn't it better like this? If you still have regrets, the higher the chance of you entering back into that World."

"Wha- NO! SOMEBODY! HELP ME!"

Yuzuru shouted quite loudly, making Yuri cringe a little.

"What, do you think your shout can pierce the heavens? That some lunar medicine lady would come to your rescue? Just give up on your fate and go over as soon as possible!"

Just as Yuri swung the hammer up, the door to the club room slammed open with a rather angry Kanade standing there. It was rare to see Kanade angry and even if she was, it would be hard to discern her angry expression from any other expression she has. But Yuri and Yuzuru, who have both been around Kanade for sometime, knew what sort of aura the student president would have when angry. Something strong enough to crack the floor with.

"Y. U. R. I."

Kanade glared at Yuri.

"Ah, Kanade-chan, good timing. I was just about to send Yuzuru over to the other side. Could you be the one to check his pulse to make sure he is either in a coma or dead? Actually, better make sure he's dead."

"SO DEAD IS THE THING YOU WERE AIMING FOR? !"

"... I will not allow you to harm Yuzuru."

Kanade's voice bordered along dangerous. That only made Yuri even more excited. That was completely wrong.

"Just try to stop me."

Yuri swung the hammer down but Kanade was faster, tackling Yuri straight on. The two girls got into a scuffle, which would involve a lot of hair pulling, shirt pulling, skirt pulling and other sorts of pullings that would be available to two teenage girls. Then, the door slid open once more.

"Yo, sorry I'm late I had to accompany Yui to-..."

Hideki entered the room just as the worst moment possible. Yuri, with her uniform all messed up and half of the buttons missing, was being pressed down against Yuzuru, who was still bound to the chair, while Kanade, whose uniform was also more or less half way undone, was on top of Yuzuru. Do not question what happened during the scuffle as the amount of imagination here is massive. The same amount of imagination was going through Hideki's mind at the moment.

_[Hideki's simple mind is processing situation]_

_[Hideki's simple mind has processed situation]_

"... Sorry. Wrong room. Please take your time."

Hideki took one step out of the door. Closed the door. Hideki ran off screaming-

"YUZURU YOU CHEATER!"

.

.

.

The three in the room were just staring at the door, wondering what just happened.

"... Oh well. Let's get back to sending Yuzuru to the other side."

"NO!"

* * *

_Back in Purgatory_

Walking into the Wolves' headquarters whilst stifling a yawn, Katsuragi made a mental note never to sleep in the Wolves' sleeping quarters again. He should have taken Yamato's advice to sleep in the dorms, but he guessed it would take two months for him to actually realize this fact. He spotted Yamato by the request board, mulling over the requests for the day. Over the course of the two months they had spent here with the Wolves, Katsuragi and Yamato had started to learn to work together more often as a team and their skills and tactics complimented each other well. Even Iori was impressed by their teamwork. As such the two began to take quests together rather than solo. There were also others that they called upon for help, like other new members to the Wolves and even some seniors.

But even though they were working together and had been completing requests for almost everyday for the past two months, the two still had yet to obtain their first fang. The proof they needed to be part of the Wolves. The reason for this was because they were still new and were only allowed to do simple GenRe types, unable to take on more difficult GenRe types that included fighting of Shadows. There had yet to be a SquaRe type or a DiRe type, let alone a ORe type that they were allowed to take on. But, it is as Yamato puts it. They take what they have and make do with it. Well, normally Katsuragi would agree, but something didn't feel right. It was like being stuck at the beginner's dungeon in an RPG game, unable to continue because of a bug in the game where the first boss would not appear. Katsuragi walked over to the board, joining Yamato.

"Had a good night's rest?"

Yamato smirked, seeing how Katsuragi was still rubbing the sore part of his neck.

"I can't believe that you're able to wake up and get here earlier than me even though you stay at the dorms."

"I have a very good alarm clock."

Yamato simply replied before turning her attention back to the request board.

"... Still nothing."

Yamato sighed, clearly not happy about the choices displayed on the board.

"We could... do Mouri-san's letter again."

Katsuragi offered, to which Yamato merely glared.

"We've already done that request twelve times. That stalker practically has her request permanently on the board! It's like one of those repeatable starter quests in a game. No, I will not do stupid letter running again. That stalker needs to understand that the NPC doesn't like her."

"... You think she would actually listen?"

Katsuragi countered, to which Yamato had no comment on. Looking back at the board, it was true that there were no proper requests for them to take on. There were the usual, find missing items, deliver supplies, find a cat, and also delivering messages. Once or twice there would be a request for dirt, but that was hardly exciting or worth anything for them either.

"Ah, there you two are."

A voice called out, making the two turn. Iori walked over with a smile on his face, the kind of smile you do not want to get too often.

"Good news for the two of you. There is a SquaRe type that the two of you can handle."

At that, Yamato and Katsuragi both felt a great sense of excitement in them.

"Finally!"

"Yes, well, don't get too excited over it. This is a squad base request so you will be moving out with some seniors- ah, here they are now."

Iori turned around just as two Wolves' members walked in. One was a young man with dark blue hair and his bangs slightly covering his right eye. He had some dark blue ear phones on his ears and looked really... silent, almost perpetually sleepy. The second newcomer though, was quite a contrast. A young upbeat looking girl with reddish brown hair tied into a small high tail behind her head. She too had ear phones, but those were red rather than blue. Katsuragi sensed that these two were extremely similar. Different, yet same.

"Let me introduce you two to them. Private Arisato Minato, and private Arisato Hamuko. If you're wondering, they are twins."

".. EH?"

Yamato and Katsuragi were both dumbfounded at this statement, staring at the twin siblings who were nothing alike. Katsuragi figured that this must be what he felt before. That they were the same and yet different. But something was still not right about that. Were they really twins? Or more?

"These two are extremely strong in a fight, so don't hesitate to ask them for help."

Iori said right before the girl, Arisato Hamuko, ran over and grabbed the two recruits' hands with her eyes glittering and shining with anticipation and excitement.

"So, the two of you are the new kids right? Hmm! So cute! I could just eat you two up!"

Eat? Just what was this person saying? No matter what, this was starting to freak the two of them out.

"Hamuko.. they are not food."

Minato walked over and grabbed Hamuko by the collar and pulled her back forcefully.

"Eeehhh."

"Don't 'eeehhh' me... sorry for my sister's display."

Minato bowed slightly to apologize.

"Right, since the four of you have met, this is the request for you."

Iori passed them the paper.

Squad Request

Quest Giver: Sergeant Takahara, Fort

Request: Hunt down a six escaped Shadows. They will appear only at night.

Time limit: until 0800 hrs tomorrow

Reward: 1000 MT; Low Rank Promotion possibility; Vouchers for Big Site Onsen and foodstalls

"Promotion? I thought they weren't available till the ORe's."

Yamato said, making Iori smiled.

"Good to know someone paid attention. Well, lower rank promotions are mainly up to the squad leaders, until you have reached a certain rank, all promotions go through the division heads. On a side note, the ranks of the squad leaders are also determined by the division head, therefore you can see a variety of ranks holding the position of squad leaders. Once you are a squad leader, you are no longer bound by normal rank progression and the division heads would promote you based on your squad performance, not just based on your own merit. For an idiot like Imagawa Jin, although his squad is Camelot and does a good job, he himself is an idiot, resulting in him never being promoted pass Sergeant."

"Explains a lot."

Yamato muttered. Katsuragi had to agree.

"Well, you have your mission. Good luck, and may your fang stay sharp."

_[Arisato Minato joined party]_

_[Arisato Hamuko joined party]_

_[Request accepted]_

* * *

"So, what are your names?"

Aisato Hamuko asked as the four of them walked over to find the quest giver.

"I'm Katsuragi, and this is-"

"Yamato. Kusanagi Yamato."

"Katsuragi and Yamato-chan... hm! Good names!"

Hamuko smiled cheerfully.

"Erm... forgive me for asking, but how did you get a name like Hamuko?"

Yamato asked.

"Oh, you don't need to worry about offending me. It's always the case. Well, my father gave me that name. He was a huge fan of Hamtaro, and probably wanted a son to be named after that character."

Naming a child after a cartoon hamster, what sort of parent is that?

"But after he realized his mistake, he quickly changed it Hamuko. Not that it is such a bad name. I mean, if you write it vertically, I would be a main character!"

Hamuko proudly said. The main character, Katsuragi had to wonder if being he was being the main character of his own life?

"Hmm... still, isn't it amazing that the both of you are twins and being together even in this World?"

Yamato asked, which made Minato flinch a little. Hamuko's happy expression slowly turned into a sad smile.

"If that were the only case. Our situation is a little... different."

Hamuko said, making both Yamato and Katsuragi look a little confused.

"... Hamuko, don't."

Minato said in a low tone.

"It's alright, Minato. It doesn't mean anything for us to keep being trapped in the endless cycles of despair."

Hamuko replied.

"... Do as you please."

Minato finally relented, walking ahead of the group.

"Forgive him, he doesn't like to talk about it. Well, he doesn't talk much about anything, but he particularly hates talking about this."

"Then maybe we should talk about something else."

Yamato offered, slightly worried that she offended the two.

"No, it would probably be better for us to talk about with someone. Ours is a story that needs to be told, sooner or later. You see, Minato and I aren't really twins."

"... Huh? But Iori-san said-"

"It would be easier for most people to call us twins."

Hamuko said, cutting Yamato off.

"You see, this World isn't bound by time from the normal World. There are people who entered this World earlier than others even though they died a few years after. And with the two of us, we knew that this World isn't bound to one single strand of possibility either."

"What does that mean?"

"It means, that this World of regret is one that links many Worlds of possibility. In the normal World, time is constant. It only moves forward. But even though time only moves forward, there are many different paths that time can travel through. You reach a fork in the road. In one World, you take left. In another, you take right. Each step you make moves you further down the path, each breath you take can change the direction of your future. Like the ripples of a drop of water that spreads outwards. From that one point, the ripples only get larger as they move further away from that point. Minato and I are like that. We both originate from the same drop, but are at the different ends of the same ripple."

What Hamuko was saying did not make a whole lot of sense, but in a way, Katsuragi knew what she was trying to say.

"You are saying that you... and Minato-san are the same person, but from different Worlds."

Katsuragi concluded. Yamato stared at Katsuragi's answer, dumbfounded by it but Hamuko merely nodded with a sad smile.

"Yes, we are. Both Arisato Minato and Arisato Hamuko are the same being. You may think it is impossible, but we are living proof. Or dead proof if you like. My actual name is Arisato Minako, and Hamuko was my pet name by my parents. I prefer Hamuko so that Minato and I would not be mixed up so easily, so please still call me Hamuko."

At this point, it seemed Yamato's brain was not processing much of anything else. Her mind was completely blanked out by the looks of her face. Not that Katsuragi could blame her, since he was finding this rather hard to understand himself. As for how this World was not bound by the normal time line of the living World, he understood that. But how could that be the same for parallel Worlds? This wasn't the butterfly effect of chaos theory anymore. This was completely science-fiction stuff.

"But... wouldn't that mean that people would see more versions of themselves?"

Katsuragi wondered.

"Yes, they would, if you look at it normally. But like I said before, Minato and I are special. Besides, even if we weren't, would every parallel World contain the same person dying in the same horrific manner? Would they hold the same regrets as their self from the next? In Minato and my case, we have both experienced near identical situations, and the circumstance of our death is... complicated."

It was clear that Hamuko would not want them to probe any further than that. For Katsuragi, he did not really want to go any further. Besides, it looked as though Yamato had already blown all of her fuses in her head. Smoke was actually coming out from her ears.

_[Yamato suffered major mental damage]_

_[Yamato is completely mind-fucked]_

_[Yamato is not responding]_

_[Yamato has crashed]_

_[Yamato has entered the blue-screen of death]_

_[Please reboot; if repeated appearance of this message, please contact our support hotline]_

* * *

"So, the Shadows in question were meant to be brought in for investigation, however there were slip-ups in security and they escaped. They disappear during the day and only come out at night. Two of the six have been altered by the program, so we advise caution. Kill them and do not leave a single trace of them behind. Your squad leader has told me that he would be giving you your reward directly so no need to report back to me once you're done."

That was what they were told by the quest giver and the group prepared for nightfall.

"Tomozuki had given us information that the Shadows were last seen to disappear down at the running track. We shall make our stand there."

Hamuko said and all agreed with the plan. When night came, the four of them stood on one end of the track field, waiting for their targets to appear. Yamato loaded her shotgun with slugs while attaching additional slugs to the stock of her gun, as well as putting on bullet belts. Two around her waist and one more belt around her body. Yamato had spent quite a few MTs on these belts and additional slugs, as well as a bayonet attachment to her shotgun. Katsuragi slotted his extra cartridges into pouches around his belt which he got at a discount. Additional grenade launcher tube under his rifle cost him a good 800 MT, and he really wish it would be worth the cost. As for the two Arisato, they took out weapons that Yamato and Katsuragi did not expect them to bring.

"Um.. Arisato senpai, the two of you are melee fighters?"

Yamato asked as Hamuko took out a long naginata from its bag. Minato took out a rather scary looking steel long sword.

"Would you rather I use this?"

Hamuko asked, taking out a bus stop stand from nowhere in particular.

"... No. The naginata is fine."

Yamato said, feeling that if she said anything about that bus stop stand, she would be lowering down her mental level. Hamuko smiled and put away the bus stop sign.

"It is true that when dealing with Shadows, distance and power of a gun are better choices, but Minato and I have chosen these weapons because we know our strengths best. There are many things in life that are hard to understand or comprehend. Each person is different, living the way they like in the manner which suits them. And though the person may be the same, the number of choice they have are infinite. Understanding even your own self can be difficult at times."

Hamuko said, taking a swing out of her weapon.

"Hamuko senpai..."

"Minato and I had fought enough during our life time. We fought against the darkness of human ambition, against the power of greed, we fought against the will of humanity. We had both chosen the path to protect our friends and loved ones. We fought against everything that the World had thrown against us. We sacrificed everything to ensure that those left behind still had something to live for. But even that was not enough. Our efforts could only amount to so much. Minato and I both know that what we did when we were alive would not be enough. That the darkness that would kill our loved ones would return. That sooner or later, our fated battle will come once more. Even if we have to stand against the wishes and will of all humanity, Minato and I will fight on."

Hamuko's eyes were filled with determination. A kind of force that Katsuragi was surprised by. It was... moving. Pure determination. There was a hint of sadness in her tone and eyes. Sadness for leaving the side of a loved one.

"Senpai... is it all worth it? To go against the will of humanity? To possibly be the most hated person in the World?"

"Minato and I are used to it. But don't worry about us. We can handle our own. We fought with these weapons and they have served us well even till now."

Hamuko reassured Yamato, who had gotten rather fond of using her shotgun and thus did not particularly trust a close combat weapon. Katsuragi did notice that both Minato and Hamuko did carry pistols. A different sort of pistol.

"... They are here."

Minato suddenly said. The cloud cover soon parted way as the moon lit slowly lit up the track field. Across the field, the ground started to gather a strange formation of dark mist-like glob. The globs soon rose up and formed into the creatures of night. The mist like monsters that haunted this World and hunted down the SSS2. With their dark red bead-like eyes, they hunger for nothing but to devour the souls of the dead.

"Shadows."

_[Six Shadows have appeared]_

Katsuragi and Yamato loaded their weapons as Minato and Hamuko got into stance. The battle was soon to begin.

".. Let's do this."

* * *

Minato and Hamuko charged forward, leaving Yamato and Katsuragi to cover them from behind. Katsuragi took the first shot, pushing back the first of the six shadows with suppressive fire. Minato charged at the same shadow and dragged his long sword across the ground upwards, cutting through the monster with ease. The monster suffered a large blow but was still alive. Hamuko jumped over Minato and brought her naginata down, cleaving the shadow into two and forcing it to disappear. A second shadow appeared from behind, attempting to strike Hamuko but a loud bang echoed the field as a hole punched right through its body that came from the slug out of the smoking barrel of Yamato's shotgun.

"Thanks!"

Hamuko winked as she twisted her body to let her Naginata swing a wide arc, cleaving through another Shadow. Minato dashed from under Hamuko's swing and dragged his long sword skyward, cutting a cross into that shadow. Katsuragi fired a burst into the fourth shadow but something was wrong. The bullets were not tearing through the creature. Rather, it looked to be absorbed.

"Senpai!"

Katsuragi shouted, feeling that something is amiss. Hamuko and Minato both realized this quickly and retreated back. The shadow that swallowed Katsuragi's bullets soon did something unbelievable and rather horrid. It devoured another Shadow. The first shadow grabbed the small shadow and a large gaping mouth appeared on the first shadow where the head was. The first shadow then proceeded to swallow the second shadow whole.

"Wha- what is going on? !"

Yamato demanded, though no one could answer her. Everyone was asking the same thing. After the first shadow was done devouring the second, it started to grow larger in size and then turned to the third Shadow, devouring it as well. Soon, it had swelled up to the size of a building. All could only stare in horror at what they were facing up against. Suddenly, Minato charged forward, trying to attack the larger shadow, but the moment his blade hit the Shadow, his swing was stopped. The dark mist started to envelope the sword and was creeping up to Minato as well.

"Minato! Duck!"

Hamuko screamed, throwing her naginata at the Shadow. Minato ducked as the naginata embedded itself into the Shadow, but like the sword, it had no apparent effect and was being swallowed up as well. But this gave Minato time to retreat back. The two Arisato's looked on in horror as their weapons were being swallowed up by the Shadow. Yamato fired a few more slugs into the monster, throwing some grenades at it as well but like before it had no effect.

"Tch, is this the cause of the alteration by the program?"

Hamuko hissed through her teeth.

"Program?"

"The Angel Program. It was found by the intelligence division to be the thing that gives rise to the Shadows and Angels. We do not know how it works or how to shut it down and the number of Shadows who have been altered by the program have been increasing by the day."

Hamuko replied. This was certainly not a good piece of information.

"What do we do? We have no weapons that can work against it!"

Yamato cried out. But then Hamuko smiled.

"We still do."

Hamuko nodded to Minato, who nodded back. The two of them unholstered their pistols and Katsuragi now saw that their pistols were indeed different. The handle was tilted slightly back and the barrel was thin. Engraved along the side were the letters S.E.E.S.

"Like how the Angel Program can affect Shadows and Angels, it too can be used to enhance our abilities."

Hamuko explained as both Minato and her loaded their pistols with only one bullet.

"A tool isn't inherently good or evil. It only provides the means. You two might want to stand back."

Hamuko smiled. She then turned her attention back to the Shadow.

"Oh, and whatever you do, don't scream."

"Wha-"

_"From the depths of the abyss, we walk."_

Hamuko said in a serious tone.

_"Climbing the never ending spiral of despair."_

Minato continued her words.

_"We gave our lives for the ones we cared for."_

_"We gave our souls for the ones we loved."_

_"Bound by the contract of the hour."_

_"Bound by the sins of our past."_

Both Minato and Hamuko raised their pistols... to their own heads.

_" "We are the Fool, the ones who would gather the cards, the ones who guide the lost. We are the beginning of all. We are the wild card of fate." "_

The two of them pulled the hammer down of their pistols.

_" "We are the ones that tempt fate, the ones who carry the burden of the World upon our shoulders. We are the seal and guards of the last gate of humanity. With this bullet, we release thee. Come forth-" "_

**BANG**

Both Minato and Hamuko pulled the trigger and as the guns went off at their heads, the sound of glass shattering could be heard.

_[Angel Program activated]_

_[System access; granted]_

_[Program: Persona; activated]_

" "_**THANATOS**_" "

_[Operation Thanatos; Engage]_

A great gust of wind came from nowhere, swirling around the two Arisato's as two identical large creatures materialized before them. Dressed in some sort of dark dress with a pointed skull like head, having a string of coffins float around them and having a sword in hand, the creatures seemed to silently stare at the large Shadow before them. No, they were just staring, they were targeting.

"Those are... Shadows!"

Yamato realized. And Katsuragi saw that to be true. Minato and Hamuko summoned two identical Shadows before them. Was this their power? Without warning, the two armed Shadows opened up their mouths, unleashing an unearthly howl that made Yamato and Katsuragi cover their ears. It was a ghastly scream that seemed to go right through their souls, striking fear, cold darkness... and death into their hearts. It was beyond what Yamato and Katsuragi were prepared to face. Don't scream? Yamato and Katsuragi could not even open their mouths to say a word, paralysed with fear. The two summoned Shadows charged at the larger Shadow before them, bringing their swords the bear. Their strikes, however, did work, cutting through the Shadow like it wasn't even there. Their furious swings slicing through their foe, using their hands to grip and tear apart the Shadow before them like it was fresh meat. It was a ghastly scene, a frightening scene. Yet it was a scene so pure that Yamato and Katsuragi could not know what to think. What were they suppose to think? In a matter of seconds, the two sword-bearing Shadows had completely torn the enemy into shreds. Giving one last howl to the moon, they disappeared. Hamuko turned around to face Yamato and Katsuragi with a sheepish smile.

"Looks like we won."

_[Enemies defeated]_

_[Gained Black Essence X2]_


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: Sorry for the late post. No excuses, I just could not write a single word. Writer's block is the worst enemy of all time.

Anyway, in response to some readers, the amount of references to P3 will be cut down. That last chapter was just literally off P3. As for those who caught all references... yes, you might want to step outside for a change and get fresh air. I, myself, who came up with such ridiculous references, shall admit myself to a psychiatric ward.

While I do love the idea of Atlus taking up the idea to make an Angel Beats! game, I seriously doubt they would be able to capture the full scale of what the game could be. Even if they did follow something like my idea, there are just too many variables to consider. A project like that would take at least two years to realize. Too long. Not to mention over budget. Fan-made projects would be awesome, but the lack of people able to do it is very depressing. It would take an army of desperate fans, willing to shell out their own money and free time, to work on a project that would probably never give them profit, only to entertain themselves and others like them. Such is the sad reality of life.

In response to TwJ , you raise very good points and I am sure some other readers out there are wondering the same thing as well. The references to P3 were not meant to reflect the game, but rather the story within P3. Sure, Messiah is the obvious bad ass Persona to use in the game, but in the story Messiah does not even show up (he is like a secret weapon that the developers put into the game to make the players aim for the ultimate weapon). Like in the soon-to-be-released anime adaption of P4, the main character is probably going to stick to using Izanagi, not switch to another Persona. The darkness of death within the hearts of the restless souls, something that I am playing with in my story, fits Thanatos perfectly. Plus, Thanatos is a crazy Shadow that out-right kills the first Shadow in the game thus it would stand that Thanatos is an excellent choice, in addition it shows a Shadow can defeat another Shadow no matter what weapon or attack it uses. For weapons, it is better to have each character limited to one melee, one side arm, one medium range weapon and one special. There are certain special characters that would be entitled a wider variety of arsenal though they are few and would normally appear more often in the story. I just 'borrowed' the P3 characters in honour of Maeda Jun's attachment to the Persona series.

I hope this answers your questions, enjoy this chapter!

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 17_

_Unanswered doubts_

"Good work, four of you. Although two of the Shadows were reported to have been altered, it seemed that there was no need to worry after all!"

Iori congratulated them after their report back. Still, although they had completed the request, it was still a rather difficult thing to accept. The two Arisato's power, that is.

"Don't tell Iori about this, alright? We'll treat you to some nice food if you promise."

That was what Hamuko pleaded to them right after the battle.

"We'll explain it later, so please don't say a word."

There wasn't much to say anyway. And so the two new members of the Wolves did not say a thing about the event to Iori during the report.

_[Kusanagi Yamato promoted to Private]_

_[Katsuragi promoted to Private]_

_[Arisato Minato promoted to corporal]_

_[Arisato Hamuko promoted to corporal]_

_[Request complete]_

_[Gain 1000 MT]_

_[Gain Big-Site vouchers]_

The four left the room and headed down to Guild.

"We'll explain along the way. Minato and I need new weapons anyway."

Hamuko said as they headed towards the tunnel. The four climbed down the entrance to Guild, the tunnel F4 having reopened long ago. As the group headed down the tunnel, Hamuko decided to explain.

"The Shadows aren't something that are foreign to this World. It is in fact a part of the soul."

Hamuko started off as they walked along the tunnel.

"All of this is obvious to the squad leaders and division heads. The older members all know that as well. This World is a place where restless souls come to find peace from their former lives and this World is like a place specially made to facilitate that process. But because humans would always have doubts, would always have their mind and hearts clouded by guilt, sins, regrets and of death. Humans are never free of the endless cycle of despair, life and death. It is just the way it is."

"So... the NPCs are human?"

Yamato asked.

"Some NPCs were human that were converted by Shadows, but we cannot say all are. Perhaps the NPCs are able to accumulate the darkness that grows within us all in order to give us peace but something went wrong and they transformed into Shadows. Or maybe they were meant to transform into Shadows all along, forcing us to face the darkness within us all. There is no right or wrong answer for us at this point. All we can do is to continue fighting."

Hamuko replied, her tone slightly trailing off. An endless cycle of fighting. It seemed that Hamuko also had the same idea that they would be continuously fighting as well. It was like everyone in the organization had given up the prospect of this war ever ending. For Minato and Hamuko, they seemed to come from a place where fighting was all they did. Yankee? Biker gangs? They didn't look like it. They were used to using melee weapons so were they from a time before the introduction of guns? No way, that was more than four hundred years ago. Even this warped World did not allow something like that. Then what?

"What about those Shadows you summoned?"

Yamato asked. Hamuko smiled sadly as she closed her eyes.

"... Thanatos. To Minato and I, it is something that sleeps within us. It is something that we swore never to let out. The harbinger of death. The reaper of Nyx. The demon that is despised by all humans yet welcomed deep within their hearts. It is darkness that sleeps within Minato and me. It is the pain we endured during our lives and the burden we bear even in this World. In other words, it is the manifestation of our souls. But like I said earlier, Minato and I are special. We had this darkness in us during our lives, and by utilizing the Angel Program, we are able to materialize it here."

"By special, did you also mean in reference to the circumstance of your deaths?"

Yamato questioned. Katsuragi had completely forgotten about that part. The circumstances of Hamuko and Minato's death. Hamuko did say that there was something 'special' about that. Hamuko smiled a little and nodded.

"Yes, it does relate to our deaths."

Again, Hamuko's tone seemed to be telling them not to pry any further into that. It was probably something that she did not like. Yamato seemed to get the hint and did not question any further. The four of them reached Guild and it was here that they parted ways.

"We will go see Musashi for our new weapons. We need an upgrade anyway. We will see you guys some other time. Invite us for your requests if you think you need help. We will always be glad to help out."

Hamuko smiled and left with Minato.

_[Arisato Hamuko left party]_

_[Arisato Minato left party]_

"... Let's go."

Katsuragi said, turning to find the fitters. As the two of them walked into the Fitters' area, they noticed that the workbenches of the Fitters were all but empty. Save for one. Cleaning the barrel of a rifle, the young man seemed to be a little too focused on his job that he did not notice the two Wolves members approach his bench.

"... Erm... excuse me?"

Yamato tried to catch his attention, but it did not seem to work.

".. Ahem... can you help us?"

She tried once more. This time, the young fitter looked up. Katsuragi remembered this person. He was the one giving the orientation to them back then. He was also the one working on the sixth division's leader, Kurogane Kou's weapons. If he remembered correctly, his name was Gen.

"What is it?"

He snapped, clearly not in a good mood. He did not look to be in a good mood ever. But Katsuragi did note that he was different around Kou. He was... somehow less defensive around her. Why was that?

"So, you two pups need to get your fangs, huh? Fine. Pass them over."

Gen said, opening up his palm to them. Though Yamato felt slightly insulted by being called a 'pup', she nonetheless handed over her bottle of black essence, as did Katsuragi. Gen looked at the two bottles carefully, inspecting them as though they were some weird scientific object that has yet to be discovered.

"Hmm... Black essences. Rare. In addition, there seems to be quite a lot of it. Condensed into such a form, even one small portion is capable of making two fangs. Alright, let's get down to it."

Gen took the first bottle-

"Done."

FAST! THAT WAS TOO FAST! Katsuragi and Yamato did not even blink and yet even the space of less than a split second, Gen was done with two fangs. What just happened? Could someone please explain it to Katsuragi and Yamato before they-

_[Yamato has crashed]_

_[Please reboot]_

Too late. With Yamato now out of action due to the inability to comprehend what just happened, it was up to Katsuragi to ask what Gen just did.

"Hm? All I did was to take some essence and compress it into the shape of a fang. Since the essences you found were already condensed, it did not take much to make them. Here, I'll even throw in the chain."

Gen passed the fangs and two chains to Katsuragi, though Gen did not really answer the question Katsuragi asked.

_[Obtained Fang (atk +5) ]_

Before Katsuragi could ask any more, Gen went back to cleaning the gun barrel and ignored anymore attempts of communication by Katsuragi. Left with no choice, Katsuragi had to leave. Since Yamato was more or less frozen in place with nothing but the whites of her eyes showing, Katsuragi had to borrow the nearest hand truck trolley to carry her out. It was like moving a mannequin, though heavier. For now, Katsuragi figured that they should head back. There was just too much to handle at the moment, not to mention think about. Katsuragi still could not get what Hamuko said to them before. Shadows were part of human nature. That they were the darkness within them all. What about him? Katsuragi had to wonder if he would ever face his own darkness. And if so, would he be ready for it? To face his own darkness would be to face his own past. The truth of his own existence. Was he ready to accept that?

* * *

_In the World of the Living_

"... Now what is this suppose to be?"

Yuzuru asked, feeling as though he was experiencing deja vu.

"Kamiya-kun, you ask a lot of questions. Are you sure you managed to get into this school with top scores?"

Yuri asked in a slightly disappointed tone.

"I'm not questioning this thing directly. I'm just questioning your motives with strapping me to this chair together with five stores worth of fire works around the bottom."

Yuzuru asked, though he really shouldn't be. And yes, he was strapped to a chair with enough gun powder at his feet to cause a crater in the roof of the school, which was where they were currently at.

"I tried getting rockets and rocket fuel but NASA would not let me. Besides, it costs too much so I bought the cheaper alternative."

"You tried calling NASA? Are you nuts?"

"I told them I was trying to send someone to the sky but they immediately put down the phone. How rude can they get?"

"No no, I don't think it is about being rude here... your motives are still very questionable."

"My motives? All I'm trying to do is get you to go to the other side."

Yuri simply replied.

"AND SO YOU WANT TO KILL ME BY BLOWING ME UP? !"

"Sigh, are you stupid?"

Yuri asked.

"You're the one who's stupid! Untie me now before I die!"

"You won't die (though that is the whole point of getting to the other side), just go flying up into the sky and so you will not explode, unless I made a mistake in the calculations."

"... I thought I heard something extremely evil in that sentence. Might I ask what calculations did you get that from?"

Yuzuru asked, though he really shouldn't be. Again.

"This."

Yuri replied, taking out a children's picture book that had the title 'Going to the moon with Dora*mon'.

"THAT IS OBVIOUSLY A FICTIONAL CHILDREN'S COMIC!"

"It still has real life applications. All comics and stories base their ideas on real life things."

"BUT THAT IS OBVIOUSLY WRONG! What sort of real life application does a robot cat from the future that has an infinite number of weird gadgets in its pocket have in relation to strapping me to a chair covered with rockets? !"

"Don't worry, I'm sure it will not be wrong. The physics and mathematical calculations are all applicable in real life."

"And might I ask what were your scores in the last exam for those two subjects?"

"I failed."

Yuri answered without hesitation, causing a brief moment of silence and shock before-

"GET ME OUT OF HERE!"

"Oh, don't be such a wuss. Flying into the sky is nothing new. Humans have always tried to reach places they cannot be. Think about it, you'll be the first person to fly in a rocket chair."

"I don't want to think of it! And besides, what does flying into the sky have to do with getting to the other side?"

"Because don't they say that heaven is in the sky?"

"NO IT ISN'T! PEOPLE FLY IN PLANES IN THE SKY AND THEY AREN'T IN HEAVEN!"

"Well, you'll blow up in the sky, which is the closest point to heaven."

"SO I WILL BLOW UP AFTER ALL!"

"Sheesh, don't be so pessimistic. What, were you some pessimistic teacher constantly in despair even though he is surrounded by beautiful high school girls who all are in love with him but he doesn't notice it and tries to commit suicide on a daily basis in your previous life?"

Yuri asked all within the same breath, which is quite a feat. Which made Yuzuru puzzled by it.

"What are you talking about?"

* * *

After another timely rescue by Kanade, Yuzuru decided to have a little chat with Yuri. Just to make sure she knew what she was doing. Chances are, she doesn't.

"What is bothering you, Yuri?"

Yuzuru asked, sitting down on the chair that nearly sent him off into the sky, though by now it was disarmed and now nothing more than a simple chair. Really. Just a chair.

"Nothing is bothering me."

Yuri said, tinkering with the would-be switch of death for Yuzuru. Luckily it was disarmed. Or so Yuzuru hoped.

"Something is clearly bothering you. Your plans are never this flimsy and... never this crazy."

'Crazy' may not be the right word in this case.

"... What do you think of life? And of that World?"

Yuri suddenly blurted out, catching Yuzuru off guard.

"T-that... that's a very abstract question, don't you think?"

Yuri looked lifelessly at Yuzuru.

"Yuzuru... you really don't know anything, do you?"

"Er... that is..."

"... What we discovered in that World... What that World truly is."

Yuzuru did not know what Yuri was trying to say, but he did know the answer to that.

"... A world for people to get over their regret... isn't that right?"

Yuri smiled sadly at the answer, closing her eyes.

"If only it were so... The darkness of our hearts. The hatred, despair, anguish... That World is a accumulation of that darkness that lies within our hearts. It feeds upon our fears, preys on our weaknesses. That World isn't there to save our souls. It is there to torment us further. It is there to judge, to torture us, haunt us with our past. Yuzuru, I fear for those still there. They do not know what true horrors that World is capable of. That World reacted to us when we were there. It rejected our being and tried to eradicate us. The more we fought back, the tighter it squeezed. It is an endless cycle. Those kids are only pushing the balance further to the brink. Soon, it would prove to be fatal."

Yuri said slowly, but she did not need to Yuzuru knew that well. He knew a lot about that World, having been the last one of the original SSS to leave. In fact, he knew more about that World than Yuri. But... what Yuri said was right. That World was not meant to hold onto so many suffering souls for such a long period of time. The spiral of wars would soon reach its choke point. The only question is who will give out first?

"That is why I must go back."

Yuri suddenly said, getting to her feet.

"I must correct the mistake I made. This is something I must do, no matter what."

"Yuri-"

At that moment, the door to the club room opened and standing there were the other club members. All of them smiling with something within their eyes. An familiar sort of determination.

"Yo, Yurippe. Count us in. Your crazy operations were always handled by us. In this World of the previous."

Hideki smirked.

"Y-you guys... you remembered?"

Yuri asked, clearly shocked by this turn of events.

"Of course we did. There was no way we wouldn't remember it. We just didn't want you to relive those horrible days, so we kept quiet. But if Yurippe is serious about going back, we will help you. After all, didn't we say that we will follow you anywhere you go?"

Hideki asked and the other members all nodded in agreement. Though with the others, things would be easier, Yuzuru still had to make sure. He turned to Yuri,

"But Yuri, are you sure you want to do this? Are you sure you want to forgo every single speck of happiness you have earned to get here in order to return? That place is a World of hatred and despair. It is a World where your past will come back. Are you sure you want to really want to do this?"

Yuri simply turned to him with a face of renewed vigour.

"The only ones who are allowed to shoot and those who are prepared to be shot at. This mess was something I created and I will see it end by my hand. This has not changed and it will not change. I did not come to earn all of these luxuries of bliss by quietly turning a blind eye to my past. How can I claim to be happy where I am if the path I took was filled with so much blood and despair? I will not accept that. I will go to the depths of that hell if need be to change it all. Are you with me, Yuzuru?"

Yuzuru was a little surprised by her reply, and seeing her now, he should have known that this day would come. Seeing her out-stretched hand, offering it to him just like that day when he arrived in that World. It was the same. Yuri was still the same person, no matter what. Yuzuru smiled, having been defeated by this girl. Yuri was the only person he could never win. He took that hand.

"... Always."

Yuri smiled at his answer.

"But how are we suppose to get back? One does not simply walk into the Afterlife."

Hideki said. But Yuzuru already knew the answer. He knew it all along.

"... That... leave it to me."

* * *

A/N: Those who got the references in this chapter should really... really get out more often.


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: Sorry for the delay, there seems to be a flu bug going around and it doesn't help that i sleep late and the air-conditioning is constantly blowing at my face. Also, though I am sick my mother strongly believes that going out will cure me. It made things worse.

some of you will be glad to know that I am writing a side story for this. It will be a collection of short stories written in the POV of some of the characters. This is my way of thanking those who contributed their characters to this story. I may not be able to publish it so soon as I am concentrating on this story but you can be assured that it will be done.

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 18_

_Switch_

_Back in Purgatory_

Tapping her finger on the table, Taeno Yuki sighed as boredom was starting to creep into her. She looked at the mountain of paper work that she left piled up on her desk. Since when did this organization have a need for her to read and sign documents? How did a small band of students fighting a guerilla war suddenly blow up into a full size army complete with signing documents? She did not create this organization just to sit behind a desk to sign documents! She needed to shoot something! To kill something! Her fingers were fidgeting as though she were holding the trigger of her pistol. But first and foremost, she needed to clear all of these documents. Besides, if she were all so mighty in this organization, shouldn't she be able to assign these stupid documents to someone else?

"EXACTLY! What am I, the most important person of this place, doing stuck in an office with nothing to do but look at paperwork? !"

Yuki finally flipped. As did her desk. But before the desk could fly any further, it was caught and put back into place by one of her two aides. A strong and rather muscular man by the name of Ayuji Gorou. The scattered documents all disappeared in mid-air and appeared in the hands of the second aide. The agile and nimble girl who is probably a ninja, Tetsuji Kaname. These two were Yuki's aides though their actual role was probably more like caretaker. They had to deal with Yuki's every whim and stubborn outbursts.

"Two minutes and five seconds."

Kaname muttered the time it took for Yuki to sit behind a mountain of paper work before exploding while putting the documents back onto the table.

"That's a full minute less than before."

Gorou noted. Yuki's outbursts were nothing new and the two aides were very aware of the situation.

"Yuki-sama, you must complete these documents. The intelligence division is pestering us to get them looked over and signed."

"Why do I have to look through them! You guys can look over them as well!"

Yuki shot back.

"But we are nothing but lowly aides. We merely help Yuki-sama in whatever trouble she has."

Kaname answered.

"Then help me now!"

"We are unable to look through such important documents. Besides, wasn't it Yuki-sama who demanded that all documents must go through you?"

"I... uuuuggh... Kaname is a bully."

Yuki sulked.

"Yes yes, we are bullies. Now, Yuki-sama, look through these documents. By eleven, you need to oversee the new training regime of the Fort members. By twelve you are to meet with Assault division leader Ein Shrewerz to finalize the plans of the joint training exercises. At two you need to meet Guild division leader Himura Yuuko over the faulty production line of Big Site. At four you are needed to meet with intelligence division leader Tatsume Kenji to discuss the use of the program, as well as to ensure that the intelligence division is still giving out proper information to the respective divisions. By eight, you are required to-"

As the list went on, Yuki's patience was starting to wear out.

"DAAAHH!"

She eventually flipped. Again.

"I don't want to do all of this! Get someone else to do it!"

"Sigh, as we said before, Yuki-sama. These are things that only a division leader is able to do."

Yuki slumped onto her desk, wanting to just cry. But there are certain things she just cannot do. Like cry in front of the others. Yuki had always maintained a strong front. She needed it. She needed to let the men know that she would not waver. That she alone could be strong enough to face everything and be their support. But it wasn't like this in the beginning. In the beginning they were all just trying to survive. To fight and live on. And for the hatred within her. The unfairness of her life, the desperation to vent her anger. Now she sits behind a desk looking at paperwork.

"... Kaname... what day is it?"

She asked, hoping for it to have some miracle.

"A Tuesday, I believe."

Kaname answered normally. Tuesday. The cafeteria special should be katsudon. How she wished she could have a nice bowl of Katsudon right about now... Wait... Tuesday? Yuki sat up with a smile.

"... Kaname. Gorou. It is time."

The moment she said that, her two aides looked to each other with a slightly worried face.

"T-time, Yuki-sama?"

Gorou asked nervously.

"Yes... It is time... Call for all Division leaders! It is time for an Organization Operation!"

* * *

Katsuragi stifled a yawn as he stepped into the Wolves' room. The request he took on the night before was quite tiring. Maybe taking on three Shadows wasn't such a good idea after all. If it weren't for the sniper squad of the Assault division, he would have been consumed by the Shadows for sure. But why were the sniper squad in the area? He was sure that no other division was meant to be there that night. Oh well, nothing good would come out of it.

"Yo, Corporal Katsuragi."

A voice called out to him. He turned around and saw the over-excited face of Sergeant Arisato Hamuko. She still had a bit of curry stain on her cheek.

"Hamuko-san. Good morning. Did you see Yamato around?"

He asked, wondering why the other member of his duo team had not arrived yet.

"Yamato-chan? She should be by the board."

By the board? Katsuragi looked over to the request board but Yamato wasn't there. If she wasn't at this board, then she should be at the other one. The Wolves had gotten hold of a second board, due to the influx of requests that keep streaming in. The one in the Wolves' room were dedicated to only Lieutenant and above difficulty. The other was probably where Yamato was. However it would not be awkward to find Yamato actually looking at this board. Though Yamato and Katsuragi were technically Corporal ranked, they had earned a certain reputation of being able to take on missions that were captain ranked.

This was in part due to the two of them usually tagging along with their seniors to do requests that were usually not for their rank. This was actually Yamato's idea and Katsuragi did not miss Yamato's rather eager nature to quickly move up through the ranks. However due to Yamato's over-eagerness, one that Katsuragi could not compete with, Yamato and Katsuragi started to take on separate requests.

"Right. Thanks, Hamuko-san."

Just as Katsuragi was about the leave, he felt a slight tug on his sleeve. He turned around and saw Hamuko simply smiling as him, refusing to let his sleeve go. Katsuragi knew what she wanted, but it was rather difficult for him to actually give it to her. But he finally relented. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a meal ticket.

"Ooo, thank you!"

Hamuko snatched the ticket from his hand and went off happily. Well, there goes one MT. Hamuko usually gives good advice, as well as being a good teacher when it comes down to various things. The problem is that she eats too much. Katsuragi headed over to the second room, which was a store room of sorts. Katsuragi walked into the room and saw that Yamato was indeed at the board in this room. Yamato had tied up her hair into a long tail, complaining a few times that the number of times the hair went into her face was more than enough to warrant a ponytail. When Katsuragi asked why did she bother to cut it, she simply kept quiet. Perhaps it was something that she didn't want to get rid of.

"Yo."

He smiled, walking over to join her by the board. Yamato did not even turn his way to acknowledge his presence as she gave a slight nod. The dark rings and large bags under her weary eyes being the result of pulling off too many all-nighter jobs. Katsuragi had stopped accompanying her along for those sort of requests, citing the fact that though they cannot die, they weren't immune to sickness. Besides, a tired fighter would only be prone to make more mistakes during combat. Or so Fujibayashi Kyou would say.

"How was last night's request?"

He asked, though he would know the answer to that.

"..."

Yamato kept silent. If he remember correctly, Yamato took up an extermination request like his. The only difference being he faced off three Shadows while she faced off five.

"You need to rest, Yamato."

He said, placing a hand on her shoulder, which she shrugged off.

"I'm fine."

She muttered, snatching a request from the board. Yamato obviously wasn't fine but there wasn't much Katsuragi could do to change her mind. Yamato was a driven person. She always looked forward with such determination and ferocity that Katsuragi had to wonder if there was something Yamato was trying to achieve by doing all of this. Perhaps there was. Just as Yamato reached the door, Iori stepped in.

"Oops, sorry about that."

Iori smiled, but Yamato simply ignored him and tried to go around him but Iori placed a hand on her shoulder and pushed her back into the room.

"Now now, Kusanagi-kun, don't be such a bad sport. I have something to tell both of you."

Yamato was seriously angry with Iori, but Iori did not even seem to notice it.

"Don't need to get all excited over the next request. In fact, you don't need to do it."

Iori said, making Yamato and Katsuragi confused.

"There is going to be an Operation. All requests are void for the next few days while the Operation is underway. Come on, there's going to be a briefing in the meeting room."

* * *

As Fort did not own a large room compared to the other divisions, the briefing room was used to debrief squads one at a time. The first squad to be debriefed would be the Wolves, considering they were the elites and the ones that Yuki had chosen personally. As the Wolves gathered inside the briefing room, Katsuragi took note of the number of members the Wolves had. While the Wolves, being an elite force, did not number as many as Camelot, the Medics or even the relief squad Little Busters, there were still quite a number of Wolves. Around a hundred members of Wolves were gathered in this room, each armed with their own special brand of weapon.

These were the elites of Fort. These were called the closest group to the Guardians in terms of sheer strength and ability. These were the Wolves of Fort. The assassins of Yuki. The Knights of the Queen. It was quite an intimidating thing to be in, let alone see it. Taeno Yuki, the leader of Fort, walked into the room with her mighty presence and all of the Wolves stood up to their feet in unison. They snapped to attention, creating one loud bang with their feet. Yuki had a mens blazer draped loosely over her shoulders, her beret bearing the symbol of the SSS2 and she also walked in with a cane. She wasn't injured, so what was with the cane? A weapon?

"... At ease."

Yuki said, and the Wolves stood easy, sitting back down on their chairs. Yuki nodded to one of her aides, who turned off the lights in the room as a large screen at the end of the room turned on, showing the symbol of the SSS2.

"Tomorrow, we will initiate Operation: Switch."

The screen displayed the large words of the Operation name. Switch? What sort of Operation was that? Were they to take something from the NPCs and switch them? That sort of Operation would not require the entire Organization. It could be something stupid like switching the menu of the cafeteria, or switching the exam papers of the NPCs. Katsuragi remembered meeting up like Daisuke and how he told Katsuragi about one Squad request he had to do where they switched the exam papers of the student council members. Nothing really happened after that though, so nobody knew if that would be considered a success or not. Yuki cleared her throat.

"For this Operation, we will proceed to cause massive confusion amongst the NPCs, hopefully causing a disturbance small enough to prevent destabilizing this World but large enough to cause a reaction from the program. Intelligence division reports that it may be possible to see a 'phasing out' from the NPCs, thus allowing us to pin-point any NPCs who have been using the program."

The screen switched to a picture with an NPC, only the NPC seemed to be slightly odd, as though his entire image was slightly blurred by static. Was it a bad picture? No, the picture was fine. So this was 'phasing out'.

"Not all NPCs will have a 'phasing out'. The Intelligence division reported that 'phasing out' will only occur to NPCs who have been accessing the program, or been heavily influenced by it. Those influenced by it are likely to be the altered Shadows which have been appearing all over the place."

A wave of murmur went through the room. Yuki took her walking cane and stamped its butt on the ground hard, causing the room to quiet down.

"This Operation will be overseen by Corporal Takahagi and Sergeant Doujima... Where are they?"

Yuki looked around but saw no sign of the said two. She sighed, shaking her head. She took her cane and took a deep breath. She tapped her cane on the floor twice before shouting out:

"COME! PERVERT SQUAD!"

.

.

.

.

Huh? The entire room fell silent, mainly from shock. Pervert... squad?

"Hmm... I did not know there was another squad."

Yamato muttered. Was that what you were thinking about? ! How about questioning the name of that squad in the first place? However, before Katsuragi could question Yamato's current mental capabilities, the floor before Yuki suddenly exploded, pieces of floorboards flying everywhere as two large figures jumped out and landed with a loud thud before Yuki. The smoke soon cleared and Katsuragi could now see them clearly. Two well built men, each looking fierce and powerful just from one look. Only... why wasn't one of them wearing any pants? And the other is shirtless and having a full carpet of chest hair.

"You called for us, Yuki-sama?"

The one without pants asked in a booming voice.

"Yes, I did. Why weren't you two here before? This mission is to be overseen by the two of you."

.

.

.

EH? These two perverts were the ones to oversee this Operation? The one without the shirt stepped forward, looking dead serious as he replied Yuki.

"That is because, Yuki-sama... we just warmed up some milk to drink."

.

.

.

.

Huh? Milk? Drink? What? Yuki, however, was the least pleased. Her nerve snapped as her grip on her cane tightened the point where the metal handle became slightly bent.

"Huuuuh? Milk? Drink? Are you idiots? Beyond perverts... why am I always surrounded by idiots... ARE YOU TWO LISTENING TO ME? !"

Yuki shouted as she threw her cane aside and shoved her fingers up their nostrils.

"Gaahh!"

"Y-Yuki-sama! P-Please forgive us!"

The two perverts cried out as they were forced around by Yuki who had her fingers up their noses.

"AS IF I CAN FORGIVE YOU FOR SOMETHING SO STUPID! An operation is going to go on tomorrow with the two of you being in-charge but nooo, you just had to go off lazing around AND DRINK MILK!"

Yuki suddenly lifted the two men off the ground with unbelievable strength... and by those fingers up the noses, before throwing them to the other end of the room.

"Useless... Utterly useless. And look what you two did! You got my fingers dirty with your nose dirt!"

Actually, that was her own fault. But no one wanted to say that. No one who wanted to die. Even those with a death wish did not want to say anything. An aide handed Yuki a handkerchief to wipe her hand with while another retrieved her cane.

"Fine... I'll oversee this Operation myself."

Yuki sighed, wiping down her hands. A Wolf member raised his hand.

"Yes?"

Yuki turned to the man, who got up from his seat.

"What sort of arms should we bring for this Operation?"

He asked. Yuki nodded to that question.

"This Operation will take place on School grounds. Besides specialized squads, all SSS2 members would be limited to their side-arms and other small weapons. All small items like grenades, flash-bangs, smoke grenades are allowed. Any other questions before I get into detail of the operation?"

Another raised a hand.

"Yes?"

"Since we are only allowed light arms, can we expect a minimal chance of Angels and Shadows to appear?"

The Wolf member asked. Yuki nodded to that.

"Intelligence reports show that this week will have the least amount of Angels and Shadows. This is also due to last week's mission by the Intelligence division, Operation: Overtime. The Intelligence division's ninja group managed to give half of the teachers and student council members food poisoning. We can expect little resistance if any."

Ninja group? Food poisoning?

"However, as I said before, several squads would still have access to their full arsenal. Division six is one of them. The Assault division's sniper group, the Intelligence division's Sentinels, and the Shield members of Guild are the others. With these squads, any enemy we face should be dispatched off quickly."

There was a slight atmosphere of tense discomfort. No one in the Wolves felt safe without their weapons, but rules were rules. Katsuragi sensed that Yamato was already nodding off to sleep, her head swinging back and forth, before finally landing on his shoulder. The first thing that came to his mind, 'heavy'. However one should not under estimate a woman's ability to sense bad things sad behind her back, and Yamato is not exception. Yamato's arm swung round and punched Katsuragi hard in the gut.

"Continuing on with the briefing. This operation will encompass throughout the entire week. All requests are put on hold until the Operation is done. As this would be the first Organization Operation for some of you, I will tell you what is required of you during an Operation. During an Operation, all requests are put on hold, even if you are doing it halfway. You will be working with the various divisions and it is advised that you do not stick with your own squad during an Operation. During an Operation all trips to Guild and Big Site are forbidden unless it is part of the Operation. This is mainly a security precaution as during an Operation most members are required to stay above ground and on school grounds. Prepare well before an Operation starts. During an Operation, you will be following specific objectives that has been given to you and your group. Additional objectives will be relayed to you during the Operation, so you must be prepared to change as the situation requires you to."

Yuki explained the basics. Katsuragi understood what the Operations were, though he had to question a lot about what was going to happen during this Operation.

"Right, onto the main part. Operation: Switch will commence tomorrow. Please report tomorrow morning early in the morning over at guild to receive your uniforms."

The moment Yuki said that, the entire room erupted in one loud and unified:

"Huh?"

"Hm? Weren't you listening to me?"

No no, you did not explain it in the first place! Yuki sighed, shaking her head in disappointment. Why are you disappointed? You were the one who forgot about explaining!

"Operation: Switch consists of every single SSS2 member wearing the uniforms of the opposite gender as well as wearing wigs or tying up of hair if necessary. That is all."

.

.

.

.

"HUUUUH? !"


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: Glad everyone likes this operation, the first big operation of this series. by my calculations, there should be another two big ones. See if I can fit them in, or I'll down-size them to division level.

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 19_

_Carnival of Wrongs_

Katsuragi look down at his... dress. Why... why was he in a dress? This... this did not make any sense.

_[Equip SSS2 Female Uniform]_

_[ +20 Def]_

_[ +10 Luck]_

_[ +20 Agility]_

_[ +9999999 Humiliation]_

_[ -9999999 self-esteem]_

_[ -99999999999 self-esteem defence]_

_[ -9999999 logic]_

_[ -9999999 sanity]_

_[ +999999999999999999999 Pervert power]_

He looked over to Yamato, who just put on the men's blazer like it was nothing. She also tied her hair up though in a different manner. Yamato noticed that Katsuragi was looking her way.

"Hm? Are you done already?"

She asked. Katsuragi looked down. A dress. Why... Why was this happening?

"... you look... like a pervert."

Katsuragi muttered off-handedly.

_[Katsuragi received 999999999 damage]_

_[Katsuragi received 999999999 bonus damage to self-esteem]_

"Ah, but we can fix that. You do have the wig they handed to you, didn't they?"

Yamato asked. Katsuragi was now sobbing in one corner, trying to comfort what was little pieces were the remains of his heart. He pointed over to the side of the room the Wolves were given to change in. On the table was the long wig Katsuragi was handed to change into. But he didn't want to use it. The shame.

"It's a pretty good wig, I'll give them that."

Yamato said, walking over and grabbing to slightly longer than shoulder-length hair wig before coming back and putting it on Katsuragi's head.

[Equip SSS2 Wig]

_[ +50 magic defence]_

_[ +100 elemental defence]_

_[ Immunity to Petrify]_

_[ +10 % chance of counter]_

_[ +20 % chance of finding rare item]_

Katsuragi did not even bother to question those weird upgrades in a simple wig.

"We need to put some make-up on you... Let's see... Your facial structure is quite light... we don't really need to put on that much make-up."

Yamato completely ignored Katsuragi's lack of participation or input as she put on the make-up on his face. In fact, Katsuragi was so out of it that he failed to notice his own new reflection in the mirror that was shown to him after Yamato was done.

"Ooo? Who is this cute girl?"

Iori said, coming over dressed in a girl's uniform as well as having a twin pigtailed wig on his head. He looked... like a professional transvestite. Pretty, but you know it isn't true.

"This is Katsuragi? This is quite some level. Yamato, were you some sort of make-up artist in your life?"

Iori asked once Yamato told him who the gender-bent sulking person in the corner was.

"No, I wasn't anyone like that, though at one time I did aspire to be one."

Yamato admitted before adding the final touches to Katsuragi's make-up.

"... There. Done. Here, Katsuragi, take a look for yourself."

Yamato said, forcing Katsuragi to look at his own reflection. For a moment, Katsuragi merely stared blankly at his own reflection, unresponsive. Then he suddenly reached out for his own reflection.

"Aaah... who is this pretty woman? Hello... how do you do? I'm Katsuragi, what's your name?"

Katsuragi smiled in a creepy manner as he caressed the mirror.

"... I think I made him a narcissist."

Yamato sighed.

"That is quite some skill. To make someone fall in love with himself. In the first place, I think he's lost it... how can he still do this with that creepy dead-fish-like expression?"

After getting Katsuragi to accept reality, which took quite some time and a few slaps to the face, Yamato and Katsuragi assembled together with the rest of the Wolves. Most of the guys were feeling disgusted with themselves and the girls were feeling disgusted of the guys who felt disgusted of themselves. It was a room of shame, more or less. The entire squad's morale was at an all time low coupled with complete and utter self-hate. Iori, one the other hand, felt quite excited about this Operation. Who knows why.

"Ahem, let me address all of you first that I do NOT have this hobby though I find the experience rather fun, don't you think?"

Iori announced to the squad. A low wave of murmurs went round the room. Most did not believe Iori when he said that.

"Really, I have a healthy male attitude."

That, most can agree. If the oddly cheerful leader of the Wolves wasn't trying to brighten the Wolves' room with celebrating shouts and parties, he would be groping and flirting with some of the female members of the squad. Yamato was not an exception though she grew accustomed to it and took an advice from Utada Mari, the Wolves' quest sorter. The advice was sticking a weapon, preferably a shotgun, into Iori's mouth whenever he tried something funny. Iori was a well respected leader, making good decisions and being an excellent fighter, though many had to question his character and personality.

He was seen outwardly as an easy-going guy with an over-flow of testosterone pervertedness, but he also had a dark and sadistic side to him. Katsuragi had heard that Iori was actually recommended by Kurogane Kou to Yuki to be the leader of the Wolves. He also heard that Kurogane Kou used to be part of the Wolves and was slated to be the leader of the Wolves as well as Taeno Yuki's second in command but apparently something happened as Kou ended up being the leader of the sixth division.

"Anyway, I'll repeat that I do not find this practice healthy, though I think I find myself pretty nice. Hello there beautiful, what are you doing later? Want to join me later in the cafeteria for some niku-udon and Key coffee? My treat."

Iori smiled, admiring his own reflection. Great, Iori's pervertedness had reached an all time high to actually hit on himself, or an all time low since he actually was hitting on himself. After awhile, Iori was forced to put away the mirror by Mari who pointed a rocket-propelled-grenade launcher at him.

"Going back to the mission, each of you will be dispersed into groups consisting of at least ten members. Most of you will be working in your groups as the sole Wolf member, but remember that you are Wolves. Let your fang will guide you. Each group will be assigned to a different part of the school. Remember the objective of this Operation. Cause confusion only. If a threat appears, retreat to the escape points as detailed in your maps. Your group postings are on the request board. Make sure you do not get it wrong. Right, dismissed."

* * *

"Don't look at me... I want to die... don't look at me... I want to die... don't look at me... I want to die..."

Katsuragi's silent ramblings to himself was starting to sound a lot like some sort of curse you would hear from a ghost in a haunted house. Yamato wanted to beat that personality out of Katsuragi but it was her beating that got him into this state in the first place. She did punch him to get him out of his narcissistic loophole of depression. The two headed towards their group's meeting point, which was actually at the front of Fort's building. The two of them were assigned, once again, to the same group. Group 25C, to be exact, had a large number of familiar names on it.

"Yo, Katsuragi, Yamato. It's been a while."

One familiar person who is on the list though he really shouldn't be.

_[A scary monster appeared]_

"What was that? !"

Ooguchi Daisuke walked over to the two, dressed in the same female uniform but with a twin pigtail wig and an unbelievable amount of make-up on his face. He looked like some horror show clown.

"... Who are you again?"

Yamato asked.

_[Scary monster is enraged]_

"THAT'S NOT THE FIRST TIME YOU SAID THAT TO ME!"

Daisuke shouted at Yamato, who ignored him.

"... Fine, be that way... Hm? Who's that pretty girl?"

Daisuke asked, pointing to Katsuragi.

_[Katsuragi received 9999 shock damage]_

"This is Katsuragi. Didn't you call him just now?"

Yamato raised an eyebrow as Daisuke went in for a closer look. A rather... long... closer look.

"... Really? I just called out both of your names because I knew we would be together and I saw you there. Still... Did you do this make-up, Yamato?"

"Yeah, so?"

"... I'm impressed. Katsuragi really looks like a girl... a cute girl at that too."

Daisuke admitted, with a sly perverted look on his overly powdered face.

"D-don't look at me..."

Katsuragi whimpered, trying to hide away, which only somehow increased his femininity ten folds and turned on some weird switch in Daisuke.

_[Weird switch in Daisuke has been flipped]_

_[Daisuke activates 'pervert rage']_

_[ +999999 atk]_

_[ +999999 agility]_

_[ +999999 def]_

_[ -999999 sanity]_

_[ -999999 int]_

_[ immune to all status effect]_

Yamato took out a pistol and aimed it at the exact moment where Daisuke's head would be as he pounced onto Katsuragi.

_[Daisuke is dead]_

"Oh? Getting this busy so early in the operation?"

Two more familiar faces walked over. It was Todoroki Wataru from Alpha squad during the recruitment phase, as well as-

"Ayane?"

Yamato blinked to make sure she was seeing things correctly. Mitsuhide Ayane, the last member of Delta squad, nodded to Yamato. From what Katsuragi heard, Yamato and Ayane still kept in contact even after going to separate divisions. Something told Yamato that Ayane was someone that had more significance to Yamato than being just a friend. It was like... Yamato was projecting someone onto Ayane. But even though Ayane had figured that out, she did not mind having Yamato do that.

"So, you three are the representatives of Fort, am I right?"

A new voice said, making them them. Dressed in male uniform and having her hair tied up into a long tail, the girl approached them with a sort of 'school president' aura.

"Ah, Sakagami-san."

Wataru smiled, greeting the senior assault division member.

"I'm Sakagami Tomoyo from the assault division's main strike squad. I've been placed in charge of this squad, good to work with you."

Tomoyo smiled to the three Fort members.

"We will be waiting for members from Diversion and Guild. Intelligence division has decided not to grace us with any members for today. Not that I mind."

Tomoyo said, taking out a list that had all the names of the group.

"We have two from Diversion and one from Guild. An interesting choice of groups."

"None from the guardians?"

Wataru asked, earning him a punch to the head by Ayane.

"... No. The Guardians never work with any other squad."

Tomoyo answered, her tone slightly strained. Was there something about the sixth division that was bugging her? Katsuragi knew that the sixth division was widely feared and respected amongst the others, but there was something else about them. It was like the sixth division consisted of ghosts... Not only in reference to their own personalities, but rather how everyone else treats them. It was like each member in the sixth division was once a loved one to the rest of the organization. A loved one who was lost to them. As Katsuragi pondered on these things, they were soon joined by the rest of the group. The two from Diversion were people Katsuragi had never seen before. A guy and a girl going by the names of Haruhiko and Tochigaki Harumi respectively. The last member, the representative from Guild, was actually someone they knew.

"Kazu."

Yamato lowered her voice into a tense state when she saw him walking over to them. Kazu wasn't too keen on being in the same group as Yamato either as the days back during recruitment training was still fresh in their minds.

"Hmph, still the same as always, Yamato."

Kazu snorted, though he could not really be seen as a tough guy now that he was in drag. With almost no make-up at all, he was like a pervert who just stole some girl's clothing and put them on because it would give him pleasure. Just saying it was something like that.

"Alright, enough with this."

Tomoyo cut into their glaring contest before it got too wild.

"We're here to work together. Whatever differences you two had in the past ends today. If the two of you are unable to work together, I will personally see it that the two of you are unable to participate in this Operation or the next."

Tomoyo warned, her eyes showing just how serious she was. Ayane placed a hand on Yamato's shoulder, shaking her head to tell Yamato that it wasn't worth it. Yamato narrowed her eyes at Kazu before turning around, refusing to face him. Kazu shrugged off Wataru who tried to hold him back like Ayane did to Yamato, muttering something about a female dog.

"Right, since we're all on the same page... for now, I will debrief you all on the first course of action for our group."

Tomoyo said, taking out a piece of paper that probably had their orders.

"For our group, we're to take part in lessons for class 3-5. That would be in classroom building complex C. First lesson is... modern history."

* * *

Yuki stood by the window, overseeing the entire Operation as it proceeded. Despite being dressed in the male uniform, Yuki did not look any way different from usual.

"As expected of the Queen."

A voice said, joining her by the window. Ein, dressed in a somewhat tight fitting female uniform, was chewing on some grilled chicken as he leaned against the wall.

"... As expected of what?"

Yuki asked, her eyes still focused on the SSS2 members going about their orders for this Operation.

"Even dressed as a guy, you still have the presence of elegance and the nobility of royalty."

Ein's joke did not work so well on Yuki at the moment and the assault division's leader did not miss that.

"... The Operation is going well. The teachers and student council members are all in a state of confusion, but that isn't your concern now is it? Something else bothering you?"

Ein asked, fully prepared to take on another one of Yuki's outbursts. Yuki eyed Ein from the corner of her eye, then looked back out of the window.

"Nothing."

She replied simply.

"... If it is about that report, you should not be worried about it. I had a team tailing that guy's move for quite some time. If he ever touches the program, we will know."

"... What Tenryuu Shuusuke does is not of my concern at the moment."

"Even though that guy has not made a single move after 'that' incident. Why is he still a squad leader is rather questionable. Do you think Kenji has-"

"Kenji has nothing to do with Tenryuu Shuusuke, or 'that' day. And like I said, it isn't about him."

Yuki snapped, silencing Ein before he said too much.

"... This is... I have a bad feeling about this Operation."

Yuki admitted, turning her gaze back to the track field where the male SSS2 members were wearing bloomers and running around the field. It was... disturbing to watch.

"A... bad feeling?"

Ein raised an eyebrow.

"... Get all back-up squads on stand-by. Now."

Yuki gripped onto her beret, heading for the door.

"... Will we get to see the Queen make an appearance on the battlefield once more?"

Ein pondered, making Yuki pause at the doorway.

"... The Queen had never left the field in the first place."


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: It's been a long while since we had a large scale battle and this will make up for it. I hope. It's pretty long compared to the previous chapter. Quite a bit of references in this chapter. I'm not even sure if I can remember them all...

I recommend listening to some powerful music with this. My own choice would be either that nyan nyan service melody from Macross Frontier, some random German music from E Nomine, maybe some TM Revolution, and Crow Song. You know, just listen to any song you think makes battles seem 'Epic'. That would be fine.

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 20_

_Knight of the Queen_

If the key to this Operation was confusing the NPCs, then they probably succeeded. Everywhere they went, the NPCs all stared at them. Either in shock, horror, bewilderment, or just to have a laugh. Katsuragi felt like this was going to be the worst day in his life here in the Afterlife.

"Hey, girl, what's your name? I've never seen you around before."

"Want to go eat with me at the cafeteria?"

"What's your mail-address?"

"Want to go out with me?"

The number of male NPCs that crowded around Katsuragi's table as well as hitting on him was immense. What was this? Katsuragi never wanted to be popular, especially in this manner.

_[Katsuragi is now popular for the wrong reason]_

_[Encounter: eight male NPCs have appeared]_

What should Katsuragi do?

a) Fight them

b) Use item

c) Run away

d) Use magic-

"..."

Katsuragi immediately cut off that last option. Use what? What? There is no way that exists. In the first place, why was he in this predicament? He looked over to Yamato for help, but Yamato was being swarmed by girls who were all squealing in delight at every action Yamato took. Katsuragi guessed it was because she looked so much like a cool guy that the girls just went nuts over her. Guess no help from her. He looked to Daisuke, who was trying to hit on some girl but was immediately rejected and called a creep. No help from the depressed, rejected horror clown. Was this the end? Was this Katsuragi's fate? To be hit on by NPC guys?

"...uuuu..."

"Alright, time to go guys."

Tomoyo shouted, letting Katsuragi to finally have a breather. But somehow the guys around his table would just not budge.

"Erm... I have to go. My friends are waiting for me."

He tried to reason with them, but the guys still did not move.

"Come on, don't be so cold."

"Your friends can wait."

This was getting bad. Though they were NPCs, they were still men. Men with very hungry perverted eyes.

"Excuse me, you're frightening my friend here."

Yamato suddenly butted in, taking Katsuragi by the hand and pulling him away. The guys all showed their disappointment whilst the girls all squealed in a higher pitch. The group left the 'kya-kya' classroom and got back together in the hallway.

"Good work, two of you. I've never seen such a huge commotion caused by nothing but appearances."

Tomoyo said to Yamato and Katsuragi though the two of them could not really be happy about being praised like that.

"Anyway, now is lunch so let's head over to the cafeteria to grab something to eat."

* * *

As the group sat down for lunch, Katsuragi noticed something odd in the cafeteria. It seemed like almost all of the SSS2 members were here. What's more, there seemed to be some sort of event happening as a make-shift stage was being set up in the middle of the cafeteria stairs.

"Ah... so that explains it."

Tomoyo smirked, digging into her meal.

"Explains what?"

Wataru asked.

"In the diversion division, there is a band. A rock band. They were put together when Awase got hold of records of our predecessors doing the same thing to distract the NPCs. We are being called here to add confusion and distraction. Watch."

Slowly, several SSS2 members stepped onto stage with musical instruments. Katsuragi's chopsticks dropped when he noticed two of band members.

"... K-Kou?"

Katsuragi was shocked to see the sixth division head walk onto stage with a guitar slung around her. The second was also a surprise, Amatsu Len. These were the top two members of division six! What were they doing in a band? And not only that, Kou and Len both looked quite good in the male uniform.

"Kyaa! Kurogane-san!"

"Amatsu-sama!"

Squeals from the female NPCs in the cafeteria nearly made Katsuragi deaf. This was beyond a normal cry of fang girls. This was a raging battle-cry for the two.

"Kou and Len both have the strange ability to learn new things quickly. Len was gifted with the ability to learn things quickly by using the item once, but Kou has a more unique ability to essentially 'copy' whatever she sees. Since the band had only been recently formed, both Kou and Len are lending their abilities to the diversion division until they can find more permanent members."

Tomoyo explained, finishing up her bowl of udon. That was fast.

"Well, just sit back and enjoy the show."

Before Katsuragi could ask what she meant, the lights in the cafeteria dimmed as the beat of the drums started out in a steady beat. The spotlights lit up, shining down on the lead singer, Kou. Kou opened her eyes slowly, a profound silence weighing heavily in the cafeteria. Then she opened her mouth as the slow music started.

_"Kurai no he-ya (a dark room)_

_Shizuka no kokoro (a quiet heart)_

_Naze kimi ni kietanda (why did you disappear?)_

_kimi no saigou no kotoba watashi ni wasurenai (your last words I will never forget)_

_doko made kono samishi no michi ni aruite temo (no matter where on this lonely road I walk)_

_watashi wa kimi ni aitai (I want to see you)_

_Tatoe kimi ni nita no yo ni (even if there was someone like you)_

_Watshi wa zuto kimi ni matteimasu (I will always wait for you)_

_donna toki demo (no matter when)_

_donno bashou demo (no matter where)_

_watashi wa kimi ni aitai (I want see you)"_

The song that Kou sang was both sad and powerful. The heavy beat accompanied the slow yet hard chords of the guitars. This is-

"This is such a sad song."

Yamato said, unaware that tears were starting to fall from her eyes.

"... It reflects Kou well."

Tomoyo said, closing her eyes.

"Up till now, that girl still hasn't let go."

"Let go?"

Katsuragi asked, wondering if it was something about Kou past. Tomoyo leaned back in her seat, closing her eyes. The music from the band slowed down into its final verse.

"Kou once had a lover. Because of her past, Kou had never managed to experience something like love or someone who cared for her. Upon coming here, she lost someone who was like a brother to her... then almost immediately she lost her lover. Her heart was broken beyond repair. Kou slipped into the deepest part of despair and up till now and she had never been able to recover from that. Closing off her heart to everyone else around her, she became the dark sword of the organization. That is why she became the sixth division leader. That is why she is head of the guardians. That is why she is known as the 'reaper'."

The 'reaper'. Katsuragi had heard of that name before. He had initially thought that the name was attached to all members of sixth division but it seems that was wrong. They were called the 'reapers' because they followed the one who bore that name. Kurogane Kou, the 'reaper' of the SSS2. But according to Tomoyo, the reaper wasn't born. The reaper was made. Through pain and despair of losing loved ones both in life and in death, the darkness twisted the soul into something that would not return from beyond the abyss. Or was it? Katsuragi felt a sharp pain aching in his chest whenever he thought about it. Though it would hurt, he would want to know more. He wanted to understand that pain, that darkness. Perhaps... Katsuragi felt like he had to save her.

* * *

As the third song reached a close, Katsuragi began to notice something odd. There was an increase of NPCs. While they had attracted a huge gathering in the beginning, Katsuragi began to feel as though this sudden increase of NPCs wasn't due to the popularity of the band... but rather by the presence of the band itself. Yamato seemed to understand what he was thinking about.

"Sakagami-senpai."

Yamato called out to the senior while getting up but Tomoyo grabbed Yamato by the hand.

"I know. Don't get up, it may trigger a large commotion and we do not want that."

Yamato thought about it and nodded in agreement, seating herself back down.

"Still, I did not expect this many disciplinary members to appear."

Tomoyo admitted, her eyes darting around the cafeteria to locate as many enemies as she could.

"Ayane."

Tomoyo called out.

"Yes, shishou."

Ayane took the knife from her lunch cutlery set and kept it in her pocket. Ayane was actually a direct student of Tomoyo's though Katsuragi did not ask what exactly was Ayane learning from Tomoyo. All of the other SSS2 members seemed to be doing the same, a tense atmosphere growing within the cafeteria.

"Things are going to get wild."

Tomoyo noted to the stage. Katsuragi turned and saw Kou take the guitar off and placed it to one side. She then turned around, brandishing a-

"She's got a gun!"

One of the disciplinary NPCs shouted before Kou pulled the trigger.

**BANG**

The NPC who shouted got a hole in the middle of his forehead.

"... It's an STI Edge... idiot."

Kou muttered just before all hell broke loose. The SSS2 members in the cafeteria all got up, taking out their hidden side arms and pointed to the attacking NPCs. It was like a scene taken out from some mafia movie with the... cross-dressing mafia members. The SSS2 opened fire, forcing the disciplinary members to retreat outside. While it seemed that they had obtained victory, Katsuragi felt otherwise. And sure enough, a large number of disciplinary members burst through every door of the cafeteria, brandishing their own array of weapons.

"Since when did NPCs use weapons? !"

Someone demanded. Katsuragi was confused as well, but soon one of the NPCs changed his weapon into a blade.

"Those aren't NPCs, they are angels!"

The SSS2 were thrown into confusion as they scrambled to fight back. They flipped over tables to use as barricades, fighting a fierce battle as they became surrounded by these NPCs with weapons.

"These are type C class Angels, they aren't exactly full-form angels but they are more powerful than a Shadow. Be careful and don't attack them up front, form groups and take them on one at a time."

Tomoyo told the group, putting on what looked like biker gloves with metal studs at the knuckles.

"We need to fight our way out. Being surrounded will only cause us to die slowly... We need a way to-"

Before Tomoyo could finish her sentence a large explosion erupted from the main entrance, blowing away the low grade Angels from that area. As the dust settle, everyone could see two figures standing there calmly with their weapons at their side. Kurogane Kou and Amatsu Len.

"Looks like a large catch today, captain."

Len smirked, shoulder one of her two crescent shaped blades.

"..."

Kou merely looked at the number of Angels, making her scythe stand on its handle.

"Now's the time! All members! Head for the exit!"

A SSS2 member shouted and a huge war cry erupted from the members with renewed vigour. All rushed towards the exit, some lagging slightly behind to cover the exit. The Angels tried to attack but Kou and Len stopped their advance, jumping in between them and the escaping SSS2 members.

"Oi oi, don't you angels dare forget about us."

Len smirked, raising her weapon at the Angels. The Angels were cautious, wary of attacking the second in command of the Guardians head-on. The sight of their behaviour must have turned on some weird switch in Len as her smirk only grew wider.

"Oh? Not coming? Then I'll go to you."

Len then charged without warning at the Angels.

* * *

The escaping SSS2 members all ran out to the courtyard but it would be there where they discovered that their nightmare wasn't over. What awaited them outside of the cafeteria was an army. An army of Shadows and Angels. The SSS2 members knew that there was no escape from this one. But at least they weren't surrounded, only having their back against the wall. For the SSS2, there was no better battlefield they could ask for. This was what the SSS2 was. A group of youngsters who faced the atrocities of life. A gathering of suffering children determined to fight back. They live by their creed, No God, No Buddha, No Angels. No retreat. They had lived with their backs constantly to the wall, only looking forward. To quench their thirst for vengeance. To right the wrongs that they suffered. None would back out now. All determined to fight to the end. To fight till they were nothing but dust. The squad leaders of each group stepped forward, each readying their weapons. All knew what they had to do.

"... All SSS2 members! We shall make our stand here!"

"Death is a luxury for those who can rest easy!"

"We shall push these monsters back into the abyss from where they came from!"

"All of you who hold pride in your lives, in your badge, stand with us now!"

**"For the glory of the SSS2!"**

**"For our honour!"**

**"For our Queen!"**

**"For Yuki-sama!"**

**"ATTACK!"**

The war cry from the SSS2 members as they charged at the enemy was earth shattering, a horde of fierce fighters charged at their enemies worthy of being compared to the great charges of past history. From the three hundred Spartans who held back the armies of Persia, the battle of Joan of Arc at the battle of Orlais, the battle of Okehazama with Oda Nobunaga to the battlefields of Stalingrad, Halfaya pass, Normandy and Berlin. These students, these young ones, charged without fear. Throwing aside their doubts as they fought only for one thing. Survival.

The two sides clashed, neither side giving up a single step as the SSS2 fought with everything they had. Guns, swords, knives, fists. Fuelled with their passion and determination, these made a fatal combination for the Shadows who faced them head-on. The bloody battle raged on, with both sides starting to take on casualties but neither side showed any sign of fatigue. The battle pressed on and it wasn't long before the SSS2 members were beginning to lose their vigour. In a battle of endurance, humans would eventually lose out to these monsters of unlimited strength.

"We-we can't keep fighting!"

"We're losing our left flank!"

Tomoyo gritted her teeth, trying to find a way out of this mess.

"We're going to lose!"

Someone cried out, causing a chain-reaction which led a slight falter of one side.

"The Shadows are breaking through our line!"

"It's the end for us!"

Panic was sweeping fast through the SSS2 ranks till-

"DO NOT GIVE UP!"

A great voice shouted out, causing them to turn. Standing behind the enemy ranks was Yuki. With the orange glow of the setting sun shining brightly behind her, amplifying her magnificence, she really looked like some sort of holy saviour, sent to save them.

"Yuki-sama!"

"You all have done well! Now leave the rest to me!"

That was when reinforcements arrived en masse. Snipers arrived in droves, taking aim from the rooftops of various buildings around the courtyard and taking shots at the Shadows and Angels down below. The squads that did not participate in the operation appeared with their weapons, sending the enemy into disarray. The reinforcements managed to break a hole through the enemy lines, signalling the trapped SSS2 members to make their escape.

"Press the attack! Don't give them any room to breathe!"

Yuki ordered, and the attacking SSS2 members suddenly gained a new momentum, pressing the attack even further.

"All SSS2 members successfully escaped!"

One of the SSS2 members reported to Yuki, who nodded, raising her hand.

"All hands retreat, I will deal with the rest."

Yuki told them. Some hesitated to obey the order, worried about what Yuki was trying to do. Yuki closed her eyes, her grip on her cane tightening.

"... Do not make me use my skill on you guys."

She warned. But some still did not move from their position. Yuki sighed, shaking her head.

"Fine... if that is what you want... _**EXEC_ANGELPROGRAM : / / / SYSTEM_LINK WEAPONS_SKILL \ VOICE _ OF _ THE _ KING; ACTIVATE**_"

Yuki opened her eyes and took a deep breath in.

"... By the name of Taeno Yuki, I order you all to retreat!"

Yuki's voice carried such weight and power, as well as a strange power that made all within hearing distance of her voice to freeze. All of the SSS2 members stood up, snapping a salute.

" " YES, YOUR HIGHNESS." "

They all answered in unison, their bodies acting against their will, before beating a fast retreat. Yuki nodded once they were all in a safe distance, turning around to face the remaining enemies. A large number of them were Angels. Though they may be low level Angels, they were still nonetheless Angels. Type C class Angels were more or less NPCs who have turned away from the normal programming and are able to act outside their normal protocols. This meant they numbered the most and have the lowest skills. They were the same level as a SSS2 sergeant and do not have the ability to make people disappear. Still, for this amount of Angels to appear, Yuki knew that this was very troubling news indeed.

"... Hmph, no matter. All who stand in my way shall die. Simple as that."

She gripped her beret, slightly covering her fierce eyes with it as she tapped her cane on the floor.

_"I am the grandest of all sins. I am the foundation of society and the fall of man. I am the deliverance of evil and the invisible shield of man. I stand above all, and none shall take my throne from me while I still breathe. I have the blood of nobility, the soul of royalty. I rule over Worlds and destroy them with ease. Do not dare to look down on me for I will never forgive, nor shall I forget. Scorned by the high heavens, I am the high angel who dared to rebel against God. Arrogance is my creed. Heed my name and cower before my presence for **I AM PRIDE!**"_

"_**EXEC_ANGELPROGRAM : / / / SYSTEM_LINK WEAPONS_SKILL \ KNIGHTS _ OF _ THE _ CROWN; ACTIVATE**_"

Yuki tapped her cane once more and soon the ground began to crack and buckle. Erupting from the ground, like zombies out from a film, were pale glowing figures in intricate medieval western armour. These translucent knights all knelt on one knee before Yuki who raised her hand, pointing in the direction of the enemy.

"Loyal Knights of the Crown, smite down those who would oppose your lord!"

The knights all stood up in unison, drawing their various weapons. Some used swords, some spears, some maces, some bows. Silent and moving like one unified body, these 'knights' charged at their enemy without hesitation. Even if one knight were cut, the attack would only go through the knight like he was made of mist, shimmering back into form to continue cutting the enemy down. An invincible army, an army of ghost. These were the Knights of the Crown.

But such a powerful skill did not come without a cost. Yuki gripped onto her chest as an excruciating pain surged throughout her entire body. For each damage one of her 'knight' receives, Yuki receives the pain ten times over. As she had summoned almost a hundred of these knights, the damage she had to suffer was beyond description. But Yuki stood her ground. She would not falter. Not here. Not now.

"...I... WILL... NOT... FALL... HERE... NEVER AGAIN!"

Yuki shouted, as her knights moved in, surrounding the enemy in a complete circle. But it was then that Yuki's strength gave out. She fell backwards, her body unable to withstand the tremendous strain brought unto her by her skill and her knights all disappeared. But she was caught by a familiar face. Kurogane Kou held Yuki in her arms, her expression blank as always.

".. Hmm... would be nice... to be... in a princess hold..."

Yuki strained a smile.

"... Leave the stupid talk to when you sleep."

Kou answered simply, letting Yuki rest by the side.

"... Angels... are my duty."

"I... know..."

Yuki replied as Kou stood up once more, facing her opponents. Fifty type C angles, ten type B. No type A. Even so, Kou could not forgive them. She looked down, seeing the bodies of SSS2 members who fell during the onslaught. Her mind flashed back to 'that' day. Akira.

"..."

Kou opened her eyes, bringing out her scythe. Len walked up beside her with her weapons dripping of blood.

"Shall I call them, captain?"

Len asked. Kou stared at the enemy, before nodding to Len's inquiry. Len bowed a little then raised her foot. Stomping her foot onto the ground, causing a crack, Len hollered out.

"GUARDIANS! ASSEMBLE!"

The moment she said that, eighteen figures jumped from the rooftops down into the courtyard, surrounding the enemy. Each figure was dressed in black cloaks, hoods covering their faces. Kou nodded to Len and stepped forward.

_"... I ask thee... who art thou."_

Kou chanted in a mesmerized voice. And in a unified voice, the eighteen cloaked figures answered together.

_"We are the shadow, the ghost of vengeance that would seek out any and all. We are the guardians, we exist not in life nor in death. Striking death and fear from any and everywhere, we are friends to none."_

Kou took another step.

_"... I ask thee guardians... What doth thou hold in thy right hand?"_

The cloaked figures each pulled out a unique weapon, suited only to themselves, as they chanted back.

_"The rusted sword of hate made heavy by the blood of our enemies."_

Kou took another step forward.

_"... I ask thee guardians, what doth thou hold in thy left hand?"_

_"The silver bullet of our guilt and shame. Chambered into the gun of regret we shall point it at our souls to cleanse our minds of self."_

Kou took one more step and slammed her scythe into the ground next to her.

_"Guardians... I ask thee once more... What art thou?"_

The eighteen cloaked figures then pulled their cloaks off, tossing them into the air, revealing the eighteen remaining members of the sixth division, the guardians. Men and women who had all sworn a duty to kill the enemy at any cost. The reapers of the organization.

_"We are the poisonous plague of death upon the land. We are the wrath of the people tortured by God. We are the evil that shall defeat the evil justice cannot conquer. Our name is legion, for we are many. Taking up the sword of injustice, we cleave a bloodied path of destruction till we are nothing but the dust from whence we came from. We shall strike the angels down from their high perch and send them into the pits of oblivion for all eternity. Should we fall we shall rise anew for we will never rest till all are dead. Even when the dust of the battlefield settles, we shall send our souls down to damnation to battle with the enemies we sent there. We are the guardians of the SSS2. We are the sixth division. By our sword, we shall kill them all."_

The chant of the reapers sent fear into their enemies, fear that should not exist in their programming. This was death. The cold touch of darkness. Kou nodded to her division's words, gripping her scythe.

"... Ahem. We will kill them all."

* * *

Watching over the battle from the rooftop of the building, the young man said nothing, but he did not like it.

"... Kenji-sama. What is it about the battle that does not please you?"

His second in command asked. He looked to her, thinking of what to tell her. His mind went through a lot of things to say to her, but none made it to his mouth. So he kept silent.

"It's about Yuki's weapon, isn't it?"

His second in command asked. Maybe. Maybe it was about Yuki's weapon. Her powers were extremely formidable... and despicable. Yuki had the ability command any human being with her 'voice of the king' skill. No matter how ridiculous the order, once she used that skill, there was no way for anyone to oppose her. Her hated her for that. He despised her reckless behaviour, despised her arrogant nature and most of all he hated her consistent disregard for safety. More so of her own than others. He knew that Yuki was someone who planned to shoulder everything on her own. And so she would constantly throw herself into danger. It was stupid, even if she cannot stay dead for long, it was still stupid to die.

"Kenji-sama, about Tenryuu Shuusuke, we have reports that he was spotted leaving a computer room not too long ago. If we catch him now, we can question him with evidence."

He did not answer, thinking of what Tenryuu was actually up to. The leader of the analyser had been extremely suspicious from the beginning, which led him to promote Tenryuu to a squad leader, thinking that with this new position, Tenryuu would be unable to move about as much as before. Everything Tenryuu did would be observed and he would not be able to do anything. But he was wrong. Tenryuu had a strange ability to disappear all of a sudden. Also, he had received disturbing reports from the analysers that Tenryuu seemed to be harbouring some sort of secret, and that he either has some crazy mood swings, or... there is another Tenryuu. That would be worse.

"... Let's go."

He said, turning away from the carnage down below.

"Go? Kenji-sama, where are we going?"

"... To find a dragon."

* * *

Yuki sat up from the sofa, holding onto the ice pack she was handed to her head. The lump would not go away that quickly, and she knew who to blame.

"Damn it Kou, can't you treat people more like people rather than mere objects?"

The sixth division head had carried the unconscious Yuki after the battle back to Fort and apparently dropped the leader of Fort onto the floor without bothering to make sure it was a sofa she landed on. It took Yuki's two aides to make sure was rested on the sofa properly.

"Kaname, report."

Yuki waved for her aide. Kaname nodded and took the list to Yuki. The Queen took the list and look through it with weary eyes. The list of casualties, the number of ammunition used, the usage of special weapons. This was all adding up to be a rather costly operation.

"... Aaah... my head hurts... Gorou, can you do the rest?"

Yuki waved the piece of paper to her second aide, who sighed and walked over.

"I can, Yuki-sama. You want the list of casualties sorted out according to division, am I right?"

Gorou asked as Yuki lay back down on the sofa.

"Yeah... and deal with ammunition stock as well. Get Iori to send someone down to Guild if need be. I hear Yuuko's been cooped up down there doing her weird experiments again so it would be better to check on her at the same time. Best get a Wolf to do it. Can't trust anyone else to do a proper job these days."

Yuki muttered, putting the ice pack on her eyes.

"GAH! MY EYES!"

_[Yuki suffered frost damage to eyes]_

Gorou looked at the list. He had done this many times before since Yuki would always be sulking or be depressed when it came to casualty lists. He guessed this was part of his job as Yuki's aide... or part of his current life.

"... Kaname, take care of Yuki-sama while I deal with this."

Gorou said, turning to leave the room.

"Ah, Gorou, take this as well."

Kaname said, walking over to hand him another document.

"Hm? What's this?"

"It's a report from the Intelligence division. Probably an excuse for today's Operation. Take it to Commander Shrewerz and make a copy for Jinnai. Oh, and the intelligence division requested a copy be sent to Guild."

Kaname said. Gorou took the paper and looked through it quickly.

"Ah... about the sudden appearance of Angels and Shadows without warning. Hmph, wonder what sort of rubbish can they give now-... Hm?"

Gorou then noticed something in the report that seemed... off.

"... This is... an update on Tenryuu Shuusuke?... So he was using an Angel Program during today's Operation... doesn't this make us have enough evidence to bring him in? Why are they-"

Gorou suddenly realized that there was something on the back. He flipped the document around and saw a photo attached to the back. On it was a picture of a SSS2 member.

"This is... wait, isn't this a 'phasing out'? I thought only NPCs could suffer that-"

Gorou then realized what this meant.

"... This is not good."


	21. Chapter 21

A/N: Sorry for the late post. Too many things going on. Like new anime, military enlistment, new anime, new movies, new anime, new games, new anime, new games, new anime, new games etc.

To answer a question a lot of people were asking about the previous chapter... that song is something I made up. It isn't good, doesn't make much sense as a song. So for the next time I will be using songs from my music library. I found two good ones but they will only work in the right context, so wait for them! They will come soon!

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 21_

_Returning Days_

Stretching out his arms, Katsuragi felt re-energized and revitalized once he was back in men's clothing. He had never known joy like this, and certainly he would not want to lose this feeling. He will never ever look down on men's clothing ever again. Such bliss, such happiness. Ah, this life. This is what being a man is all about.

"... Stop looking like that. It's disgusting."

Yamato muttered, her arms crossed as she stood by the door where Katsuragi was admiring his own reflection in the male uniform.

"What, can't a guy be happy that there isn't a breeze going in between his legs?"

Katsuragi glared at Yamato, who shrugged.

"You will never understand how I feel at this moment."

"Like I want understand what men think."

Yamato replied, walking out of the room with Katsuragi following behind. It has only been one day since the end of Operation: Switch and already it was quite clear to everyone that such an Operation would be better off not doing at all. First off, there had been quite a number of casualties for all divisions though nobody was essentially 'killed' by the Angels or converted by the Shadows. The number of Wolves injured also tallied quite high. Though injuries would normally heal over in almost an instant, these were no normal wounds. Katsuragi did not want to know what could cause such injuries, but it was obvious that their enemy was growing smarter. Why cause normal damage and let your opponent just heal up in no time when you can maim them and put them out of action for a long period of time? There were no deaths, but plenty of injured. The medical team was having a field day with this amount of work, but according to Iori, this was their work so they had to be prepared for something like this.

"... I'm going to the cafeteria."

Yamato said, heading towards that direction.

"Eh? What about the requests?"

"... I don't feel like doing any at the moment."

Yamato muttered. Katsuragi knew what she meant. Yamato wasn't in a good mood today. Then again, she hasn't been in a good mood for days. Was it her period? Or something else?

"... I'll go with you then."

Katsuragi offered, walking in step with Yamato who raised an eyebrow at him.

"What, trying to console me?"

"'Trying' is a good term to use. You never seem to accept any form of help from me."

At that, Yamato smiled a little.

"Maybe it's because your help is no help at all."

"Hey!"

Though Yamato may insult him, Katsuragi felt that at least Yamato was smiling. That was a start. As the two made their way to the cafeteria, they had to walk by the rows of injured that had to wait while the medics attended to another. Some were calling out for a medic, others whimpering as they nursed their own wounds. A few just stared blankly out to some wall. It was horrible to see, let alone walk past. Yamato obviously did not like seeing it, evident by her trying to avert her eyes from the scene that was around them.

".. Dammit, why is it that there's only one exit out of this building?"

Yamato muttered, grinding her teeth.

"Don't be like that. We're almost at the exit. I'll treat you to some niku-udon so try not to shoot something till then."

Katsuragi said, trying to calm his partner down. Yamato closed her eyes for the moment, before nodding.

"If you say so."

Food always win. But just as they reached the exit, Iori appeared before them. Not a good sign. Particularly when Iori was still wearing his female uniform. So he really did like dressing up.

"... What can we help you with, hentai-leader-san?"

Yamato glared angrily at Iori.

"Yo, I have a request for the both of you to take on."

Really not a good sign. Yamato seriously did not want to take it on, particularly since it was coming from the leader who was still cross-dressing.

"... Fine, what is it?"

Yamato sighed in defeat. There was just no way they could refuse it. At Yamato's reply, Iori grinned.

"Good. The truth is the two of you are probably the only Wolves left without much to do. With the Organization taking such a heavy hit during yesterday's Operation, the Wolves have been spread thin trying to help the other divisions. The Wolves are already down by half because of the Operation but well, orders are orders. Corporal Kusanagi, I hear you're pretty familiar with the Assault division members?"

Iori turned to Yamato, who merely nodded back in reply.

"Good. Take this report to Fujibayashi Kyou. Also, find the 'Otaku'. Yuuko has been causing an uproar down below and weapons management is having a field day. We need his expertise for weapons check."

"... The Otaku?"

Yamato pondered.

"Yes, the Otaku. Just ask around, they'll point you to the right person. Oh, when you meet him, don't shoot him. He may be long-winded and don't make much sense on a normal level, but he means no harm."

Yamato sighed, scratching the back of head as she turned around to leave.

"... What a troublesome request. Fine, I just need to find this Otaku, right?"

"Make sure he arrives in one piece! And you forgot the report!"

After Yamato snatched the report and left, Iori turned to Katsuragi.

"Well, at least she understands."

Does she really?

"Now, I need someone to send this report down to Guild. We've also received a lot of requests coming from Guild. I was wondering if you could go down and help out a little. While you're doing that, can you make sure Yuuko doesn't blow the entire school up?"

IMPOSSIBLE! That sort of job is impossible to do! But Iori merely smiled, placing a hand on Katsuragi's shoulder and giving him a thumbs up.

"I have complete faith in you. Go and complete your mission as Yuuko's punching-bag /test subject."

So he was going to be a test subject after all!

"Good luck!"

Iori shouted as he was suddenly seen running off into the distance before Katsuragi could do or say anything.

"... Dammit."

No choice but to do it.

_[Request accepted ( ? ) ]_

* * *

Yamato sighed, seriously wanting to just punch Iori in the face. Unfortunately he is both her superior as well as her squad's leader. There wasn't much she could do about that but to put up with his theatrics. Yamato headed straight for the forest behind the school where the Assault division had made their headquarters. Each division had their own special area that was used as their headquarters, the Assault division using the forest behind the school, the Intelligence division having a secret base in the school's Library, Fort using the staff building, Guild being underground and Diversion using the dorms.

The Guardians are the only ones who do not have a fixed base to move out from so they can be anywhere at any time. The Guardians. Yamato saw their fight during the Operation and though she knew how frightening the Reapers were, she also knew that their strength was nothing to joke about. Each member of the Guardians could take on two low class Angels at one time, an amazing feat considering that a Wolf member would still require back-up against one of those. Looking down at her own hand, Yamato could only feel her own strength as being inferior.

"... As I thought... no matter how hard I try... it is never enough. Sigh, I wonder why is it always like that?"

Yamato wondered, closing her eyes as her mind went back to her past. The feeling of being powerless. The strength that she wanted, that she needed to right the wrongs of her past. If only she had the courage and strength of a Guardian... maybe, just maybe.

"... Maybe she did not have to die."

Yamato muttered bitterly to herself. Yamato stopped in her tracks, looking up to the sky through the trees.

"... Sigh... I'm the worst... if only I didn't send that message to Takashi... even though I knew her feelings for him I still went ahead and did that... sigh... I'm the worst."

Yamato squatted down, hugging her knees as she started to draw circles in the dirt of the forest, spiralling deeper into despair as she started to do a long string of self-hate.

"... If only I didn't steal onii-chan's toast... I should not have taken the broom from the cleaning closet, okaa-sama was worried for over a week about where the broom was... I should have let pochi (dog) into the kotatsu, then he would not have gotten that cold... I should have rubbed ojii-chan's back... I should have collected the mail... I should have cut down on mailing... I should have looked up more on the internet..."

It was starting to become a long list of really redundant things she was hating herself for.

"Hm? Isn't that Corporal Kusanagi from Fort Wolves?"

A familiar voice caught Yamato's attention, who looked up with her face in a horrible mess from being depressed.

"Uwah! What's with that horrible face."

Fujibayashi Kyou jumped back from seeing that face.

"M-Major Fujibayashi..."

"Eh... what's the problem? And what is with that hole in front of you?"

After a short explanation of Yamato's job, Kyou nodded her head in acknowledgement.

"I see, a report for yesterday's Operation. Hm, with this I now have an excuse to punch Iris in the face."

Kyou smirked, her expression bordering one of a demon's. She kept the report into a bag she slung over her shoulder and turned to Yamato.

"Well, Corporal Kusanagi, let's get a move on."

"... Eh?"

Yamato turned to Kyou with a confused look on her face. Move? Move where?

"Hm? Isn't it obvious? You're coming to help me of course. Isn't that why Iori sent you here?"

Kyou said in the most 'isn't-that-obvious' tone.

.

.

.

.

"EH? ! I didn't hear anything about that! I was sent to find someone called the Otaku or something..."

Yamato was sure her mission did not include being a temporary loan-out to the Assault division.

"Hm? The Otaku? Ah, you must mean Okuta-kun. Akiba Okuta."

Akiba Okuta? Is that why he is called Otaku? Not much of a change.

"Well, he's at the camp at the moment, and since you're there you might as well work for me for a while. Don't worry, I'll make it worth your while."

Yamato's eyes widened in horror as she realized what was going to happen.

"No...no... NOOO!"

Yamato's cries could have pierced the heavens that day.

* * *

While Yamato was suffering under Kyou's management skills, Katsuragi was faring no better. If one had to paint a picture of Guild at this moment, one would have to use a lot of black paint. What Katsuragi saw when he went down to Guild was merely darkness. Everything was gone. And by gone, it should understood that everything had disappeared by a large explosion that just erupted before Katsuragi arrived. Several Guild members were trying to salvage was lost while others were carrying bodies out of the damaged wreck. What in the World happened here? Katsuragi approached one Guild member to ask.

"Huh? Here? Oh, Boss was trying to make something new but it failed horribly. If you're looking for her, she's over by the experimenter's back-up room. Ah, do you mind lifting that over there? Thanks."

Katsuragi headed over to the secondary experimenter's room, though extremely reluctantly. The experimenters had gained a rather bad reputation everywhere in the Organization. Some called them 'demons', or 'monsters'. Other names included 'psychopaths', 'trigger-happy nut-cases', 'brainless monkeys', and even 'hazard to mankind'. The experimenters apparently have no regard for safety, either for themselves or for others, which makes them Himura Yuuko's favourite squad. Unfortunately that did not make them the favourite of everyone else.

Katsuragi reached the back-up room, staring at its heavily guarded steel doors. Those doors must weigh at least five tons each. Standing at the door way were the guards of Guild, Shield, standing guard with artillery, machine gun nests and mortar. However there was something off about these placements. They weren't facing away from the door as one would expect from the group standing guard over a door. They were aiming their weapons AT the door of the experimenters.

"Going to see the Boss? Being a wolf sure is tough. Let me check through the system first."

The shield member Katsuragi approached said, taking Katsuragi's ID and scanning it through the computer the Shield members set up by the side. After awhile, he walked back to Katsuragi.

"All clear, Corporal Katsuragi. Word of caution is when you enter, best to keep your mouth shut. Don't point out anything wrong or missing even if it seems harmless. The Boss is able to make even a tissue paper explode like a nuclear bomb."

The Shield member warned him before turning to the door. A tissue paper into a nuclear bomb? No way... was it?

"Oi! Open the door! A Wolf is going to see the Boss!"

The Shield members by the door nodded and both keyed in pass codes into key panels by either sides of the door. Entering different codes at the same time, before swiping their key-cards, hand-print scans and retinal scans all at the same time. Just how much security is there for this one door?

"Erm... is this all necessary? Is there something important inside?"

Katsuragi could not help but ask. The Shield member turned to him with an eyebrow raised.

"This security? Ah, it isn't to keep people out. It's to keep whatever the hell is inside INSIDE."

"... Eh?"

Before Katsuragi could ask any further, the loud clanking sound of gears churning deafened the area. The heavy doors slowly swung open, done so by machinery as the thickness of the doors became apparent to Katsuragi. The doors were at least one metre thick and behind that was a reinforced steel shutter door that slowly slid open, revealing a weird glass chamber.

"It's a sterilizing clean-room. You must go through to get into the room."

The Shield member said, pointing to the different nozzles and hoses in the chamber.

.

.

.

.

EEEHHH? !

"It's just a precautionary measure. Don't worry too much about it. Even if you die, you will still revive."

EEHHH?

"The door will close in a minute, so hurry up!"

The door even has a self closing setting? Just what lies beyond this dangerous door? Katsuragi swallowed hard and walked towards the chamber. He turned around, wondering if it was really alright. But what he saw was the Shield members all saluting towards him. He did not need to hear their words, their facial expressions said it all.

'What a brave lad.'

'We wish you the very best.'

'You are an example to us all.'

'God speed.'

What is with those pitiful looks and aura! Katsuragi turned back to the sterilization chamber, swallowing hard. He had to get through in order to find Yuuko.

"... Here goes nothing."

_[Katsuragi died]_

* * *

Yamato was unsure of what was going on at the moment. She was sent to find Fujibayashi Kyou and hand in a report, as well find someone called the Otaku to bring him to Guild. But somehow or rather she ended up in the training grounds of the Assault division, overseeing the training session of recruits.

"... So... what is this?"

Yamato asked aloud, standing before the bunch of confused, frightened bunch of recruits who were probably still wondering what the hell had they gotten themselves into.

"This is training for the recruits. You've been through this before, haven't you?"

Kyou asked in an obvious tone.

"That's not what I'm asking. I'm asking what the heck am I doing here?"

"You're a Wolf member, right? You should be able to do this much. Besides, because of the operation, the Assault division has been lacking in available numbers. We need all the help we can get."

Yamato sighed upon hearing that, scratching her head. A Wolf was an elite member of Fort, but they were also the most loanable squad besides the Relief squad. The Relief squad also had their hands full trying to make up members for the other divisions, so as a result the Wolves were brought in to fill in the gaps that were left. Still, it was somewhat ironic for Yamato. She could still remember the time when she was still a recruit. Though now corporal in rank, she still felt like a recruit. This would be the second batch of recruits after Yamato and Katsuragi's batch. She could see the young and 'freshness' of these recruits.

"... They look like rabbits being cornered by a lion."

Yamato muttered, narrowing her eyes and noting the recruits this time were all literally shaking while sitting on the floor.

"It can't be helped. They had witnessed the entire Operation first hand. It wouldn't be the first time Yuki planned an Operation just in time to traumatize recruits."

Kyou replied.

"... Was I like that? Shaking in fear and being so lost?"

"You? Nah, your batch was something different. Like every single one of you wanted to prove something. You guys had drive. These recruits are... well... how do I put this delicately-"

"Useless."

"... More or less."

Kyou smiled. Yamato sighed, shaking her head. She might as well go through this. She was hoping to get treated to lunch by Katsuragi but she figured this was also able to get her mind off something stuff that had been clouding her mind these past few days.

"So, what do I have to do?"

Yamato asked.

"Well, all you need to do is basically make sure the recruits are following this training regime."

Kyou handed Yamato a list which had the entire training schedule for the recruits for the entire week. Yamato look through it before looking at the recruits, and then to Kyou.

"... They are going to die, you know."

"Then let them. It's not like they will ever learn anything they don't die at least once."

"... Not exactly a very good way to say it."

Kyou merely laughed at Yamato's words.

"That's why you're here. I've been training recruits for over fifteen years, and truth be told I'm getting quite sick of it."

Kyou admitted.

"... So you're saying that if you train any more recruits, the training regime will only get worse and more violent."

Yamato deduced, and Kyou smirked, giving Yamato a thumbs-up.

"Exactly!"

Yamato sighed, not sure if this was the same Fujibayashi who leads more than half of the Assault division, the largest division in the Organization. In the first place, Yamato had no experience in training others. She was so focused on doing requests, training her own abilities that she more or less isolated herself from others. The only people she ever talked to properly would be Katsuragi and Ayane. Her people skills were at level 0, so how in the World did Kyou expect her to do this? Even as a Wolf, this was impossible.

"Don't worry about going all out to torture them. That's what I do when I'm frustrated."

Kyou said. As a leader and trainer, that is not good at all! Not good on so many levels and in so many ways!

"Ah, Tomoyo will also be helping you out, as well as her student. If I'm not wrong, Mitsuhide Ayane is your friend, right? So it should be easier for you."

Kyou added, making Yamato a little surprised.

"Ayane?"

"Yup, Tomoyo figured that Ayane needed more people skills, so she's asked me to let her take over. Not that I mind of course. Still, can never go wrong with more help. Well, good luck."

"Eh? Fujibayashi-senpai, you're not helping?"

Yamato asked. Kyou raised an eyebrow at Yamato after hearing that.

"Of course not. I told you that I'm tired, didn't I?"

No no, that was not meant to be an excuse to skip work!

"Anyway, I have to oversee other things. With Ein running off to most probably the cafeteria, I have to handle the division in its critical state. Don't worry, you can handle this much. Good luck, Corporal."

With that, Kyou ran away.

_[Fujibayashi Kyou successfully escaped]_

"... She... ran away."

Yamato sighed, wondering if everything was actually going to be alright from now on. She turned her attention to the recruits. They were obviously frightened. After all, they were still here when Yamato and Kyou were having their conversation about 'death', 'training' and all sorts of other horrible words that would make anyone wet their pants.

"This is going to be a long day."

* * *

Katsuragi entered the experimenter's room, unsure of what he was seeing. Again. It was Guild was a wonderland where logic and reality did not matter. Then again, they were all dead so logic doesn't really apply in the first place. But this was beyond logic of insanity. This was... a disaster.

"I-... I will not give up!"

Yuuko shouted, despite seeing the scattered remains of her experimenter squad around her, she still continued with her mad ravings.

"B-Boss! We cannot do it! Give it up!"

One of the experimenters pleaded, but Yuuko merely kicked him in the face.

"You fool! A mere setback like this and you are already giving up? ! And you call yourself a proud member of Guild? !"

"B-But-"

"I will complete it! Even if I have to do it on my own!"

Yuuko shouted at them, turning her attention to the large amount of dirt on the table in front of her. She grabbed a fist full of it and pressed her hands together, trying to mould the dirt.

"I... will... Succeed!"

Yuuko shouted, pressing her hands together tighter.

"Haaaaaa! !"

A great light started to shine through her hands, marking the creation of the item she was trying to make. Then-

"I finished it!"

Yuuko opened her hands, revealing a... piece of metal?

"I present the legendary metal, _MYTHRIL_!"

.

.

.

Mythril? As in... 'that' Mythril? The one found in games?

"See? I told you we could do it!"

Yuuko smirked to her experimenters, but her squad did not think the same thing as her as they started to back away from the Boss of Guild. And for good reason. The metal that Yuuko made was started to glow-

**BOOM**

As expected, it blew up in Yuuko's face. But even when charred and black in the face, Yuuko was still standing and alive.

"_cough cough_... okay, so that was a bust... AGAIN!"

She grabbed more dirt and moulded into-

"_DRAGON SCALE!_"

**BOOM**

"_ADAMANTIUM!_"

**BOOM**

"AGAIN! _PALLADIUM!_"

**BOOM**

"ONE MORE! _ORIHALCRUM!_"

**BOOM**

"_! $ & %_"

**BOOM**

Isn't the type of metal she was trying to produce getting more and more out of bounds of reality? Getting closer to the realm of 'God Metals'. And what was that last one? By now, Yuuko's hair and turned into a permanent afro. Her experimenters were all trying to get her to stop, pleading and trying to hold her back.

"Please! You must stop now!"

One of the experimenters pleaded her.

"It is impossible to create those metals!"

At that sentence, Yuuko snapped once more.

"Impossible? ! Don't tell me that it's impossible!"

Yuuko grabbed the experimenter and managed to fling him across the room.

"What you're all lacking is GUTS and WILLPOWER! With enough GUTS and WILLPOWER, anything is possible! Logic will bend to GUTS and WILLPOWER alone!"

"That's nonsense!"

"WHAT NONSENSE? !"

"All of our weapons are based off memories from life! Therefore this world is still bound by logic from there!"

"MY LOGIC IS THIS WORLD'S LOGIC!"

At this point, Katsuragi decided that Guild was crazy. With a leader like that, they are nuts. Never mind screw loose, there were no screws in the first place! Should he interfere and stop them before the entire place self-destructs? Or should he just wait it out-

**BOOM**

Wait it out then. As the explosions carried on, Katsuragi stood by the side, watching as the explosions sort of reminded him of fireworks. Fireworks... he wondered when was the last time he saw those. He could not remember anything from his life, so why did it bother him?

"A-ano..."

A small voice called out to him, but Katsuragi was too busy in thought to listen.

"... A-Anoo..."

Still ignoring.

"... ANOO!"

Katsuragi blinked a few times.

"Hmm? Did I hear something?"

Katsuragi wondered out loud.

"Here! Here!"

A tug on his sleeve made Katsuragi look down. Standing there in work overalls obviously three sizes too large, was a girl. A small girl who seemed to be on the verge of tears. Uh-oh.

_[Katsuragi suffers guilt conscience attack]_

"Erm... Sorry. I was lost in thought."

He apologized, to which the girl nodded and smiled, wiping away her tears. Were those tears faked?

"Can I help you?"

She asked, beaming broadly as though expecting something. Katsuragi scratched his head, looking over to Yuuko, who had just exploded herself off again.

"I was meant to hand this report of Himura-san, but somehow or rather..."

**BOOM**

Another explosion, making Katsuragi sigh.

"That had to happen."

"I-I can look over them!"

The little girl exclaimed excitedly, tugging onto his sleeve. Was it his imagination? Or was this girl a little... too eager?

"Erm... but I cannot hand this to anyone but Himura-san or a squad leader."

"So that means I can read it as well!"

The girl said with a smile.

"... Huh? I'm sorry, little girl, but I don't think you really understand what I was saying-"

"I'M NOT LITTLE!"

The girl shouted back at him.

"I am the squad leader of the experimenters! Warrant Officer Masamune Shoka!"

.

.

.

"Eh?"

Katsuragi stared at the little girl in surprise.

"What do you mean 'eh'? ! I have been here since the founding of this organization! I have been here since Yuki-san first found these weapons and first stood up against those Shadows!"

This girl, Shoka, proudly said, beating her chest though that was quickly changed to coughing and nursing the bruise on her chest.

"... Right... look, I don't have time to play 'squad leader' with you-"

"I'm not playing! I'm a real squad leader!"

"Yes, yes. I'm sure you are."

Katsuragi smiled a smile filled with pity whilst patting Shoka on the head. That really set Shoka off.

"I'M A REAL SQUAD LEADER!"

"Sure, sure."

While Katsuragi and Shoka were having their little brawl, an experimenter managed to get Yuuko off the testing moulds and focus on other things while they initiate a clean up of the mess. It was during this brief moment of peace that Yuuko noticed Katsuragi and Shoka. The first thing in her mind as she saw this weird scene with Katsuragi holding back Shoka with his longer reach while the little girl tried to fight back by swinging her arms at Katsuragi wildly was-

"... That looks like fun."


	22. Chapter 22

A/N: I forgot to put in Yuki's power stats... oh well, it seems that not a lot of people read the last chapter anyway.

Some people are saying that Yuki's Voice of the King skill is too cheat. I did not write out its limitations because of the excitement of the story. Well, Yuki's 'Voice of the King' skill can be used on both SSS2 and NPCs, since it essentially 'forces' a 'command' into the system. Much like Lelouch's geass. However Yuki's skill can only be used at a maximum of two times a day. It can only affect those within natural hearing range, meaning that it would not work through cellphones or recordings or even the PA system. Not even an amplifier would work. Yuki must pronounce her orders correctly and precisely. Any vague orders will not be obeyed. Orders that contradict the basic instincts like 'kill yourself' does not work. Yuki's order for the SSS2 to retreat is not against basic instincts. The last problem with the skill, and the biggest... is actually with Yuki herself. She represents Pride, and because of that restricts the use of the skill herself. It is due to her pride that she does not resort of under-handed tactics to get people to follow her orders, unless it is an emergency.

Yuki is practically the second strongest person in the organization, second to Kurogane Kou. Though she is powerful... there is a secret. It will all be revealed in the end.

* * *

[Angel Program SSS2 Division leader archives]

[Accessing Division leader records]

[Access denied]

[Rerouting]

[...]

[...]

[...]

[System Error]

[Accessing back-route]

[...]

[...]

[...]

[Access granted]

[Displaying records of Division 1 leader: Taeno Yuki]

Name: Taeno Yuki

Age at death: 17

Sex: Female

Height and Weight: 154 cm [Error] kg

Division: 1, Fort

Alignment: Chaotic Evil; Pride

Weapons: FN Scar (rank B), Walther PP (rank D), Beretta 92 (rank C), Tokarev TT-33 (rank C), Sovereignty (rank SSS), [Error] (rank [Error] )

Strength: A

Agility: A

Endurance: B

Luck: C

Abilities:

- Voice of the King (rank A)

- Knights of the Crown (rank S)

- Might of the Empire (rank SS)

- Royal Lineage of Royalty (rank [Error] )

- Chains of the Dominion (rank [Error] )

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 22_

_The meaning of Strength_

"I want another Operation!"

Yuki shouted, banging her fist into the table like a child throwing a tantrum.

"Don't be foolish, Yuki-sama! You've only just recovered from your wounds!"

Kaname shouted back, slamming documents onto Yuki's desk. Yuki cringed back at the sight of those documents, but clenched her teeth and swept the documents off her desk.

"Your aide is right, Yuki. You should rest."

Ein said, bending over to pick up a fallen file.

"We managed to get the student council to act! And we also managed to push the ones behind all of this to show themselves! I'm sure with one more push, we could drive them all out into the open!"

Yuki shouted back. Ein narrowed his eyes at Yuki, somewhat angry at her.

"Are you even listening to yourself? You're mad! We're still trying to recover our losses from the last operation and you're talking about a new one?"

Ein snapped at Yuki, something he was extremely reluctant to do. But Yuki was insane. She was losing what was left of her sanity to the battles, to time.

"But we're this close, Ein! So close I can taste it! Don't you ever wonder why it is so weird that amongst the Student council members, we do not know anything about the student president?"

Ein was caught off-guard by that statement. It was true that while the student council and the disciplinary committee were their enemies, the SSS2 had really no idea who the student council president was. No one had seen him or his picture. Not even his name is known. He is a complete enigma but it is for sure that he does exist.

"... What makes you think that he will appear? We've tried doing Operations for over forty years and yet he still has not shown his face."

Ein replied, certain that Yuki did not have any good ideas. Yuki, on the other hand, merely smiled.

"This time is different. This Operation is different, because we have this guy."

Yuki tapped on the photo with the phased out 'SSS2' member.

".. Him? He's an NPC, a spy for the enemy."

"Exactly. Because of the Operation, we discovered him, and also, the number of Angles who appeared were almost the same in number as that day during the battle of Big Site. This is clearly not a coincidence-"

"Because you don't believe in coincidences, right."

Ein sighed, realizing that arguing against Yuki was useless from the start.

"This sort of spying tactic cannot be achieved with even the Type A angels. This is definitely the work of a human... the one the NPCs called their 'creator'."

Yuki narrowed her eyes as she said that. The Intelligence division had only just managed to discover that there was indeed someone behind the Angels and their attacks. The attacks were not random, they were calculated. They showed strategy that no computer program could manage. All would point to the mysterious student council president to be the one behind the attacks but none had even seen him. Would another Operation drag him out? It was true that due to this Operation, the actions taken by the NPCs were inconsistent with the theory of them being controlled by a program. Thus it would stand that a human was responsible behind their sudden change in tactics and aggression. But who was it? It certainly wasn't Tenryuu Shuusuke as they had clear evidence that he had no relation, or love, to the student council. So who could it be?

"... Fine, so what do you have in mind?"

Ein resigned to his fate. Bad idea. Yuki smirked, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Since Operation: Switch was able draw them out this much, we should work along those lines. I propose Operation: Miko, Operation: Maid, Operation: Nurse!"

Ein knew it. Yuki did not have any good ideas.

* * *

Katsuragi wondered how things had gotten this far out of hand. Standing at the edge of the track field with enough catapults, cannons and artillery to level a small country standing behind him, Katsuragi was getting a sinking feeling that this was all wrong. And it was going to get worse.

* * *

_An hour before_

Katsuragi was holding back the little girl called Masamune Shoka when Himura Yuuko, the boss of Guild, came over.

"Yo, Shoka-chii, I see you're having fun."

Yuuko smiled broadly. Shoka-chii?

"Does this look like fun to you? !"

Shoka demanded, knocking Katsuragi's hand off her head.

"So? What's this little fight about?"

Yuuko asked, her eyes telling Katsuragi that she was planning something. Definitely planning something.

"Yuuko!"

Shoka cried, running to Yuuko like a small child running towards her mother.

"This rude guy doesn't believe that I am the leader of the experimenters!"

Shoka cried as Yuuko stroked her head.

"Ah, I see, so he was bullying you, wasn't he?"

Yuuko soothed the crying girl.

"T-tell him, Yuuko! Tell him that I'm a squad leader!"

"Right right... Well, Corporal Katsuragi, it is true that Shoka is a squad leader. It is also true that she is one of the founders of this organization."

Yuuko explained to a shocked Katsuragi and for some reason Shoka was nodding her head with a slightly smug look on her face.

"And it's also true that she has the body and mind-set of a ten year old, likes to cry, can't do things on her own and is easily bullied."

Yuuko went on, now saying things that Shoka obviously did not want said.

"Wha- Yuuko!"

"And though she wants to be recognized as being older, no one actually bothers. Also-"

Yuuko suddenly grabbed Shoka tightly with her arms with an extremely evil smile.

"-she is my toy."

[Katsuragi is thinking dirty things]

"W-wait a minute! Yuuko! What are you talking-"

Before Shoka could finish, Yuuko picked up Shoka with relative ease and tossed the leader of the experimenters up into the air.

"Y-Yuuukoooo!"

Shoka's voice echoed as she flew up, reached the critical height of her flight, then plummeted to the ground. Yuuko extended out her arms to catch Shoka, but somehow Yuuko missed the landing spot, resulting in Shoka crashing into the ground. Yuuko and Katsuragi both stared at the body that was Shoka before looking at each other.

"... Oh well, she'll revive later."

Yuuko waved it off.

"Don't just kill me off so easily!"

Shoka suddenly stood up shouting.

"Oh? You're back? Ah, it must be so good to be young. Able to revive almost instantaneously."

Yuuko nodded.

"I'M NOT YOUNG! And call me onee-sama! I'm older than both of you!"

"Right, right, Shoka-chii."

"CALL ME ONEE-SAMA!"

Shoka shouted at Yuuko who was clearly having fun at the smaller girl's expense.

"But you sure don't look like an onee-sama to me."

Katsuragi muttered off-handedly, which triggered a sort of mental damage for Shoka.

[Shoka suffered 999999 damage]

"I-I'm drinking milk everyday! I'll be sure to out-grow both you one day!"

"But you haven't grown at all. Not in height... or in 'that' region."

Yuuko pointed out, more specifically, Shoka's chest. Shoka looked straight down. Nothing, flat, a clear line of sight straight to her legs. A runway.

.

.

.

.

.

_[Shoka is now depressed]_

Hugging her knees, sitting by the corner of the room, drawing circles in the floor while muttering words that only made her fall deeper into despair.

"... I'm short... I'm flat... Even when I drink so much milk, I still can't grow... I know, it's because this is the afterlife... I can't change myself in the afterlife... Even though I came at the same time as Yuki, I still can't be like her... people don't even treat me with the same respect as her... I can't be like Yuki... even my chest isn't developed like hers..."

Katsuragi was now feeling guilty and depressed for getting Shoka into this sort of predicament, but it wasn't like he knew how to get her out of it.

"Well, let's leave Shoka to her ramblings. She'll get out of it tomorrow, or when someone offers her a sweet. So Katsuragi, you're here as a form of help from Yuki, am I right?"

Yuuko turned to Katsuragi, who nodded to the answer.

"Good. The truth is, during the last Operation, we were asked to deploy some mines across the track field. These were to be used in case of an emergency. Well, the emergency came but not at the track field. That's just one more strike against the Intelligence division. But enough about that. The problem with this is that there was a mix up in the orders and it turns out we deployed too many mines. The track field is currently closed off by the Diversion division to both SSS2 and NPCs till we can clear it. So this is where you come in."

Yuuko explained, passing Katsuragi a-

"... What is this?"

He asked to Guild leader.

"Hm? Can't you tell? It's a mosaic."

.

.

.

"Mosaic?"

He asked.

"Mosaic."

She confirmed.

.

.

.

Indeed, it was a bunch of distorted pixels that was sitting in his hand. Why does it give off the feeling that it is something so horrible and disturbing that it can not be shown on television? In the first place-

"... How?"

"What do you mean how?"

Yuuko asked.

"How in the World did you create a mosaic? ! It's is not possible! Illogical!"

At that, Yuuko's nerve snapped a little.

"... Eh? Impossible? Illogical?"

Yuuko's aura was starting to flare up. Katsuragi was about to say something else, but an experiment suddenly pulled him back.

"Boy, I don't know who you are, but do not say those words in front of Boss.. EVER! Just take the portable mosaic device and leave it!"

The experimenter stressed as other experimenters swarmed in to cool off Yuuko. With ice packs.

"... Phew, anyway, you will also need this."

Yuuko said, handing him a hard helmet used on construction sites with the words 'Safety First' printed on the side. Safety first. Yeah right.

"We need people to clear that field and we're already tied down in Guild trying to replenish the ammunition and medical supplies. I've already sent word for our clearing crew to arrive at the scene. You just need to be there and help out. Oh, and this is a joint mission with the other Divisions, it is more or less an Operation. Informal, but still an Operation. Operation: Mine-sweeper."

* * *

_Present_

Operation: Mine-Sweeper. What a direct sort of naming sense. But still, what was with the catapults? Cannons and artillery aside, why catapults?

"Are you corporal Katsuragi? Sent by the boss, right?"

A member of shield walked over to him, saluting as he approached. Katsuragi saluted back though he wasn't exactly feeling like following protocols at the moment.

"I need you to look through this list."

The shield member said, passing him a clipboard. Katsuragi looked the list. The first few pages were basically the description of this Operation in brief. The next page was a list of those involved. The list was placed according to rank and Katsuragi saw his name being at the top despite having higher ranking people involved.

"... Why me? There are warrant officers and even a lieutenant here."

Katsuragi asked.

"That's because you were chosen by Boss to oversee this Operation. In addition, you're a Wolf member."

A Wolf member. Although the Wolves were meant to abide by the same ranks as other divisions, in reality the Wolves held three times as much power as they should. In other words, a Wolf private would outrank a sergeant. Katsuragi, being a corporal, was at the same rank as a second lieutenant, beating the sergeant, staff sergeant and warrant officer ranks. So he was more or less the highest ranking one here. Unofficially. Katsuragi sighed, flipping through the next few pages. Ammunitions, weapons used, supplies and all sorts of other details. Some details Katsuragi would rather not get into.

"Ah, Corporal, it might be best if you review the last page. The Boss said it was very important."

Last page? Katsuragi flipped to the last section and on it read 'List of participating members' underwear-'

.

.

.

.

"... Is this for real?"

Katsuragi asked the shield member, who nodded his head. Katsuragi took a deep breath in-

"LIKE HELL IT'S IMPORTANT!"

Katsuragi shouted, slamming the clipboard onto the ground.

"Well, we have to start either way."

The Shield member said, looking over to where the rest of the involved participants were gathered.

"... Right, so let's go."

Katsuragi walked over to the group followed by the Shield member. This would be Katsuragi's first time overseeing a mission larger than a squad based one and personally, he did not really feel like doing it. Still, something bothered him. There were obviously more people involved than needed. If this Operation just required the use of cannons and artillery to clear the field, then the number of people far exceeded the amount of cannon batteries available. In the first place, where in Guild did Yuuko hide these cannons? And-

"... Sergeant."

"Yes?"

"... Where are the ammunitions?"

Katsuragi noted the clear absence of cannon shells, giant rocks or anything. What was going on here?

"Hm? They are right here, Corporal."

The sergeant replied.

"Like I said... where are they?"

"And like I said... here."

The sergeant repeated, pointed forward.

"But I don't see-..."

Katsuragi then realized what the sergeant was pointing at. The large gathering of people.

"... Don't tell me."

Was this the reason behind the large gathering of people? THEY were the ammunition? Did they know this? Did they even sign up for this? !

"Shall we begin?"

The sergeant asked. Was this really alright? At this point, Katsuragi felt like if he said something, he would definitely lose. Not sure what he would lose, but he will lose.

"... Alright."

Katsuragi knew that he should just resign to his fate. Whatever that fate may be. And fate... was to launch people into the air.

"200 metres!"

"200 metres!"

"Fire!"

**BOOM**

The cannon erupted, sending a screaming SSS2 medic high into the air.

"... He sure flew far."

The shield sergeant noted.

"... He sure did. Was he wearing a helmet?"

Katsuragi asked, tracking the trajectory of the flight with a pair of binoculars.

"He was suppose to-"

"Sergeant! The last one dropped his helmet before firing!"

A sudden report came in.

"... Guess he didn't."

Katsuragi said, just as the medic crashed into the ground on the track field. No explosion.

"Hmm... sector F-4 is clear."

The sergeant noted, putting a flag on a grid map laid out on a table.

"Next, we should fire at G-7."

"That's pretty random."

"And who isn't these days?"

* * *

Sitting down on the ground to rest, Yamato looked over by the training field where half of the new recruits were lying there dead. This training regime was harsher than what she went through, though in return there was an absence of the live training exercise. Probably after that incident with the 'Spawner' type Shadow, the exercise has been taken out of the training.

"Yo, good job out there."

Sakagami Tomoyo said, walking over to Yamato.

"... It's nothing."

Yamato replied, looking at the recruits slowly revive. The weak, the powerless. She could sense it in them. But she also sensed the drive. The drive to be stronger. They will be strong. They cannot do anything but be strong. It is only the weak who understand the true meaning of strength and what it means to get there. Yamato was the same. She was in the same position as them less than a year ago. But what about now? Was she any different from before? Did she obtain the power she was looking for? Or was she looking for something even more?

"Hey Yamato."

Tomoyo called out to her, making Yamato snap out of her thoughts.

"Yes, Sakagami-san?"

"Why don't the two of us head over to the cafeteria to get a drink?"

Tomoyo offered. Yamato was quite surprised to hear that from Tomoyo, since Tomoyo showed such ferocity during training. In fact, it would not be wrong to classify her strength at a squad leader level. So why wasn't she one? Kyou returned at one point during the training to check on things, and Tomoyo wasn't all to happy about Kyou running off without warning. The two faced off in an extremely tensed battle, and Yamato thought she was dreaming when she could 'see' the aura radiating from the two seniors.

Somehow or rather Kyou's aura took the presence of a large wild boar, while Tomoyo's aura took the appearance of a large bear. In any case, the conflict showed Yamato that Tomoyo had enough strength to rival Kyou, the second in command of the Assault division. So why wasn't Tomoyo a squad leader? She did not even have command over a small group. An old friend of Kyou yet she was only a lieutenant ranked soldier in Kyou's War Boars. Did she not feel like having that power? Did she not feel anguish of being powerless?

"Yamato?"

Tomoyo asked once more, puzzled as to why Yamato wasn't answering.

"... Okay. But is it fine to leave the recruits?"

Yamato asked.

"Them? Just leave them. Kyou will be back soon anyway. Besides, Ayane looks like she's having fun."

Tomoyo pointed to the field where the recruits were. Ayane was squatting beside one recruit, poking him with a stick. Was that called fun?

"Come on."

Tomoyo pulled Yamato by the arm and dragged the girl off. After dragging Yamato back to the cafeteria, passing by the exploding track field, Tomoyo headed straight for the food ticket dispenser.

"Want anything?"

Tomoyo asked, to which Yamato shook her head.

"Really? I'm rather hungry, and the food that gets served over at camp is quite dangerous to eat. No clue why no one has ever changed the cooking roster yet."

Tomoyo shivered as she thought about it. Pressing the button for niku-udon, she took the ticket that was dispensed before heading over to the cook's line. After grabbing her bowl, Tomoyo walked over to an empty seat to eat. Even at this time, there were still students walking about. Yamato watched Tomoyo slowly eat her meal as more explosions could be heard from the track field. An Operation must be under way, though Yamato had to question the field being littered with bodies. Still, what sort of Operation requires them to blow up the track field?

"...Uughh..."

A sudden and eerie groan startled Yamato, making her turn. Though she shouldn't have.

_[Encounter: Scary face]_

"..."

.

.

.

"KYAAH!"

Yamato screamed as she tried to run away from the scary face, falling off her chair in the same process.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Tomoyo nearly fell off her own chair from laughter.

"Tha-that was priceless!"

Tomoyo sniggered as Yamato crawled back into her seat. The person with the scary face was actually a guy. Looking half dead, with the whites of his eyes showing and with a strange drool from his mouth, the guy really acted and looked like a zombie.

"W-who is he?"

Yamato stammered, still afraid of the guy as he lumbered towards Tomoyo.

"He's Kisaragi Setsuna. Former War Boars unit fighter. Also formerly a student of mine."

Tomoyo said, turning around and reaching into her bag, pulling out-

_[Tomoyo equips carton of milk]_

"... Milk?"

Yamato stared in puzzlement at the carton of milk in Tomoyo's hand.

"Ah, this guy needs milk to get himself started each day. Since he was my student, I had to take care of him everyday. Guess it was a habit that was hard to die out."

Tomoyo smiled softly, opening the carton of milk before standing up.

"Oi, Setsuna, over here."

Tomoyo called out to the lumbering zombie, who had wandered off terrorizing other students in search of his milk. Setsuna turned around in response to Tomoyo's voice, just as Tomoyo lunged forward and rammed the milk carton into his mouth. It impacted Setsuna so greatly that he fell backwards with the carton still stuck in his mouth. Isn't that what people call dead? But then, Yamato noticed that Setsuna was actually drinking the milk. Soon, he was revived and well. Wiping the milk from his lips as he tossed the milk carton aside, Setsuna walked over to Yamato and Tomoyo's table.

"Yo, Shishou, thanks for the save."

He smirked.

"I'm no longer your teacher, Setsuna. You're a Guardian now, you should be able to do things like this yourself. What, were you up all night again? Playing that flute of yours?"

"It's not a flute! It's an ocarina!"

Setsuna shot back defensively.

"They're all the same. Blow air into them and sound comes out."

Tomoyo waved him off.

"Anyway, you're up pretty late. Usually you would be asleep till evening."

Tomoyo said. Setsuna sighed, looking out of the cafeteria towards the track field where another loud explosion could be heard.

"It's all that noise. Can't get a decent sleep with all of that explosion. Anyway, my leader is making another move soon so I'll also be heading out soon."

Setsuna explained. Yamato suddenly noticed that Tomoyo's expression was slightly pained upon hearing that.

".. I... see."

Tomoyo muttered.

"Well, got to go. Thanks for the milk."

Setsuna said, turning off to go.

"Hey! Wait!"

Tomoyo suddenly shouted. Setsuna turned around and Tomoyo tossed him another carton of milk.

"Take one for the road."

Tomoyo said. Setsuna smiled and nodded, before heading off. Yamato did not know that he was a Guardian. Sure didn't act like one. In the first place, he was trained by Tomoyo? Tomoyo actually trained a Guardian? A Guardian is one who had the skill to stand at the top of the organization and that meant that if they were trained by somebody, that somebody had to be of a certain calibre. Sakagami Tomoyo. Why wasn't she a Guardian even with so much power? She wasn't a squad leader, a division head or anything. She was just a member of Kyou's War Boar team. A Lieutenant. A nobody.

"... Senpai. May I ask you something?"

Yamato blurted out. Tomoyo looked to Yamato, before closing her eyes.

"It's about Kisaragi Setsuna, right?"

Tomoyo said, to which Yamato nodded. Tomoyo sighed, stirring the contents of her bowl off-handedly.

"I trained him because he had potential, and he had the drive. Everyone has a darkness in their hearts, something that they cannot forgive, cannot let go. A regret that is so strong that it binds them to this place, to the past. A regret that forces them to change, to evolve... to fight back. Setsuna... I trained him because he wanted me to."

Tomoyo said, her gaze looking into her bowl as her voice trailed off.

"... Senpai, if you could train a Guardian, why aren't you in the Guardians?"

Yamato asked and Tomoyo flinched a little.

"... I chose not to be with the Guardians. When Kou created the sixth division, she invited me to join her but-..."

"But you refused?"

Yamato asked.

"Yes... I refused. Kou regarded me as a friend so she respected my wish to stay with the Assault division though Shiki went with the new division. Fujibayashi Kyou, Sakamoto Shiki, and me, Sakagami Tomoyo. We three we known as the three 'warriors' of the assault division back then. Kou was the rising star in the newly formed Wolves. Things back then were so quiet. So peaceful."

Yamato knew of this story. She had heard rumours amongst the Assault division. Kyou of the Boar, Tomoyo of the bear, Shiki of the sword. They were always together but then the Battle of Big Site resulted in heavy losses, the appearance of the Angels, and the fracturing of the Organization.

"But why didn't you join? Senpai had the power and skill to reach whatever it is you are aiming for-"

"And then what? ! What happens after you get that power you wanted? !"

Tomoyo suddenly flared out in anger, surprising Yamato and all others around. Tomoyo sighed, sitting back down in her chair and taking a deep breath to calm herself down.

"... Not everyone in the Organization wants to gain power, Kusanagi."

Tomoyo said, opening a can of key-coffee to drink.

"... I once sought power as well. Twice, actually."

Tomoyo admitted, taking a sip from her coffee.

"Senpai?"

"I wanted power, strength, the ability to change my own fate... but as a result... I became blind to all that was important to me. In my hunger for power, I sacrificed everything... but what I found at the end of that road to power... was only darkness. Solitude and despair... those were what awaited me."

Tomoyo muttered. She sighed, leaning back in her chair. Shaking the contents of her can, Tomoyo looked straight into Yamato's eyes.

"Are you willing to lose everything in order to gain power?"

"... I've already lost everything."

Yamato replied. Tomoyo closed her eyes at that, shaking her head.

"I'm not taking about life, or the things you held in life. What I'm talking about... is your sanity. Your memories of your life. Your own soul. Can you risk all of that? Would you do it for power?"

Yamato was caught off-guard by Tomoyo's sudden change in personality. But... what Tomoyo said did have some truth in it. Tomoyo leaned back in her seat, seeing how Yamato was starting to doubt her own decision.

"I did say that I hungered for power twice, didn't I? You see, my parents didn't always get along. My house was a mess. My brother and I.. we could do nothing to stop it. I merely turned my attention else where, picking up fights in the streets, trying to prove that I did not need protection from my parents. To prove that I could live on my own. To prove that... I wasn't a child any more."

Tomoyo said, making Yamato a little surprised. Tomoyo did not seem like the delinquent type.

"I was strong. I defeated many gangs back then and I was feared by many... but... because I was strong, I did not see the person next to me. The one who mattered. My brother. My brother, being sick of my family being torn apart, jumped into the freezing river. He nearly died back then... but because of what he did, he brought my family back together. My brother... a young boy with no strength or power on his own. He managed to do what I couldn't with my power. Because I desired strength and power, I forgot what it took to be a family."

"... Senpai."

"The second time... was again, due to my inability to see things for what they were truly worth. My brother loved the Sakura trees near my school, so I tried my best to become the student council president to try to prevent the planned cutting down of those trees. I knew that if I had the power of the student council, I prevent the cutting down of the trees. I needed that power, wanted it. To right the wrong I had done on my family... on my brother. I worked hard, trying to get rid of my own old delinquent self, trying to put up a proper image. But if it weren't for... 'him'... I would not have made it."

Tomoyo's voice sounded strained when she said it. It was something hard for her to talk about. It was a scar etched deep into her heart.

"He worked hard for me to get to where I was, ignoring the protest of others. He covered for me, helped me in finding allies and supporters. He saved me. But... we could not be together. He was a delinquent, I was the student council president. Fate would not have us together. While I did save the trees my brother loved, I lost the person that I loved. I had found out the hard way that once I had gained all of this power... that standing at the top of everything was a very lonely experience."

She paused a little, her grip on the can tightening.

"I failed once more... to look and see what it would cost me to gain the power I desired. When I realized what I had done, it was nearly too late... The time we spent together was short lived. Because I was blind to all others, focused too much in my thirst for more strength that I had cut short the time we could have been together... He died... a year after I graduated... I told him that I would chase him, no matter where, no matter when... he told me that it was not my place to be at his side, but I refused. I-... I wanted to make up for lost time. But that time was not granted to me. In the end... I was left alone."

Tomoyo muttered, voice getting smaller. Yamato wasn't exactly sure what to say, what was needed in order to comfort the depressed senpai. But instead, Tomoyo simply grabbed her coffee and drained it in one gulp.

"...Pwah! That hit the spot."

Tomoyo said once she finished her drink. Why did that sound like something an old man would say?

"I later learned from Kyou... the Fujibayashi Kyou I met in here at least, that that was only 'one' possible scenario in my life. A common friend we had... Kotomi, had researched something along the lines of parallel worlds. Sounds kind of far-fetched, but... I believe it. I believed that there would a World where I did not commit the same mistake as before... or maybe a World where he chose someone else... had a family and lived a long and happy life... Either way... my life ended in pieces."

Parallel Worlds. Yamato knew of it from Hamuko and Minato, two of the same person but from different Worlds.

"Well, that is my opinion. Kyou doesn't think that I should force you to follow my ways. After all, both Kyou and Shiki have sought power because in life they too were powerless. There is a clear line between those who have power but failed to use it... and those who did not have power. Ever heard of the phrase 'power corrupts'?"

Tomoyo asked, to which Yamato nodded. Almost every has.

"While getting more power may be good, it is important to know where you stand. Do not aim for something over your limit or over what you need. Be mindful of those around you, those who have to suffer for your power. In order to obtain your own dreams, you must be prepared to crush the dreams of those around you. Are you ready for that?"

Yamato thought about it. To obtain her goal of power... what did she need power for? To satisfy herself? Or for something else? Who would suffer for her to obtain that power? Her friends? Those who want the same power? Katsuragi? Katsuragi had supported her throughout their time together in the Wolves. He was always behind her, trying to get her to relax and slow down. She knew that he was trying to get her to rest. Her relentless drive had made her forget even the most basic of things but he was there to provide them for her. Whatever happened, Katsuragi was always there.

"... Looks like you know who matters to you now."

Tomoyo smiled a little.

"You know what must be done to obtain your goal, and now you know what you must do once you have that power. There is a fine line, one nearly invisible, between gaining enlightenment... and insanity. Do not lose that reason for gaining power and you may not lose yourself."

"... Thank you, senpai."

Yamato bowed in thanks. Tomoyo smiled and nodded.

"Good. Since you know this now, I'll train you myself."

"... Huh?"

"I will train you to be as strong as you can be. It's been awhile since I trained a Wolf. Kou was the last one though she made it too easy to teach."

Tomoyo added, making Yamato surprised.

"T-the sixth division head?"

"The one and only. I taught her some techniques and the rest are self-taught. Well, she was strong from the beginning, but she hungered for more. Whatever happens, Kusanagi Yamato, do not end up like Kou. The darkness that she faces is not something any human being should go through."


	23. Chapter 23

A/N: It's only one more week before i enter the military. One more week of chapter updates. Sigh, what a horrible life. Well, I'll still try to get chapters out as regularly as possible... if i am ever able to anyway. This chapter contains two songs that i promised you guys. It really fits the story. Wonder why i never used them before now...

Disclaimer: I do not own the songs, nor did i ever claim to write or sing them. Rights goes to original composers and singers.

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 23_

_Dying Beat_

Firing another 'round' into the air, Katsuragi traced the trajectory across and the 'round' crashed into the ground, causing a large explosion.

"R-7 is a hit."

The Shield sergeant said, marking it on the map. The map was now dotted with flags, dots and other things to signify where the mines were located. For the time being, looks like they were going to clear the field just in time.

"Right, we're left with... five spots."

Katsuragi pointed on the map.

"Right, load up the next round."

He ordered. There must be something wrong with his head. He can actually order this sort of operation to go on like normal. Who in the World does this? ! Well, him, apparently.

"Yes Corporal."

The sergeant said, suddenly putting a helmet on Katsuragi's head.

"... Sergeant?"

"Yes?"

"... Why do I have a helmet on?"

Particularly when it has the words 'safety first' on it.

"Because we're going to load the next round."

The sergeant answered normally.

"... I'm the next one?"

Katsuragi asked, to which the sergeant nodded. It should be noted that the sergeant was also wearing a helmet.

"All of the cannon crews have be shot out except for the last cannon. We're all that's left, Corporal."

Ah, so this was how it was like. Katsuragi looked up to the sky. It was clear and sunny. A good day for a flight.

"LIKE HELL IT IS!"

Katsuragi grabbed the helmet and smashed it onto the ground.

"Corporal, please try to refrain from smashing helmets, we're already low on supplies as it is."

"That's not my point! Wasn't there meant to be enough people to cover the entire field? !"

Katsuragi said, remembering the list of names.

"Well, half-way through the Operation, half of the members ran off."

RAN OFF? How could they run off without anyone knowing?

"Do not worry, Corporal, once the traitors are found, we shall hand them over to Yuki-sama for punishment."

Katsuragi shivered at that thought. Taeno Yuki, the Queen of Fort. Her punishments were legendary throughout the entire Organization. Some say that if you go through one, never mind your mind being changed, your personality being different. A punishment from her would result in your very existence being changed forever! Some say that her punishment is something so amazing, so incredible, something so impossible! ... That it is extremely frightful. If Katsuragi recalled, Iori once told them about it.

Someone dared to go against Yuki and went through one of those punishments. He ended up drowning in his own drool for two days after that, then he suddenly became... gay. That was one of more extreme cases. Some others who went through it reinforced the idea that it was something amazing, something so incredible, that they never want to do it again. Never. Those who went through are unable to speak of it. For one, it was apparently so amazing that they cannot describe, and two... it was so amazing that they cannot remember it. What was this punishment? ! Katsuragi found himself intrigued by it as well as being afraid of it all at the same time! If Katsuragi did not want to suffer the same fate... he should do this as well... But still, being shot out of a cannon is... is...

"If corporal is feeling uneasy, would you like to use the mosaic?"

The sergeant offered the said mosaic.

"NO! That will only make me seem like some hideous disfigured person, or some criminal being accused of a crime, or some B-grade celebrity who had gotten scandalous photos spread around the internet!"

"... Were you a celebrity in life who got scandalous photos spread around the internet, corporal?"

"NO!"

"Well, we can use this after you land."

.

.

.

"That will only make me look some some horribly mangled corpse! You'll only make my death even worse than it already is!"

Katsuragi sighed, grabbing the helmet and walking over to the cannon. What the sergeant said was true, all the other cannon crews were already gone, leaving one last cannon usable. Even the crew members had helmets on. Looks like even the last guy has to be shot out.

"Sigh, let's just get this over with."

Katsuragi muttered, climbing into the cannon, which was actually quite large on the inside despite looking like it could not fit anyone on the outside. Once inside, though, Katsuragi was having second thoughts. And third, and fourth. The cannon was slowly raised up to get an angle. But what Katsuragi could hear did not sit too well with him.

"It's forty degrees!"

"No, fifty!"

"You dumb idiot, if you shoot at fifty, he'll fly under!"

"If you fire at forty, he'll crash into the school building!"

The gunners were arguing about the angle of fire, each changing the cannon at their own will, making Katsuragi slightly sick as the cannon was raised and lowered repeatedly. At this rate, Katsuragi will die from nausea before being shot out of the cannon.

"Would the corporal like a sick bag?"

The sergeant shouted from outside.

"No.."

"Or would you like the mosaic device?"

"No!"

Just as Katsuragi said that, he heard an odd sound-

**BOOM**

And off he went. As for the ground crew.

"... Oops."

"... Sent him too high."

Katsuragi flew through the air, his thoughts being of how the sky was so beautiful, of the birds that chirped and sang their song, of how close the school was getting. Ah yes, the school-

**BOOM**

Katsuragi ended up crashing into the school building head first. This wasn't exactly the type of landing he was expecting. Neither was the fact that he was in great pain and not dead.

"... Helmet works... but my skull is in a millions pieces."

He muttered as he tried to get up. Why would Yuuko want to create a super metal when she already has this helmet? Dusting himself off, Katsuragi now had to decide his next course of action.

a) Return to the Operation

b) Hide

c) Run away

d) Get a drink

Somehow, option D was very enticing. Yes, maybe he should do that. After Option D, he will re-assess the situation and decide with new options. Katsuragi knew that he landed on the third floor of the school complex A, and that in this building, there was a vending machine at every floor. He looked around and saw the very vending machine of his search being so close to his current position.

".. Lucky."

He walked over to the machine and reached into his pocket. He was sure he had a coin some where. Then a glint in the corner of his eye caught his attention. He looked down and saw-

"... Hundred yen... super lucky."

Was Katsuragi's luck getting better? Maybe it was karma. Being shot out of a cannon was bad stuff, but in return he survived the crash. He was close to a vending machine, and he found a hundred yen coin just lying around. Maybe that would be the end of his luck? He inserted the coin into the machine and prayed that nothing is sold out. Pressing the Key Coffee button, he waited. And waited.

"... Eh?"

He pressed the button again. And again. And again. Still nothing. His luck has run out?

"... NOO! MY DRINK!"

He started to shake the machine violently (please do not try this, Katsuragi is a trained fictional character who cannot die), tilting the machine (please do not try this, Katsuragi is a trained fictional character who cannot die), and even kicking it (please do not try this, Katsuragi is a fictional idiot and will not get into trouble for vandalism). Finally, the machine gave up its bounty. In the form of two cans of Key coffee.

"... Double can... Extremely lucky."

He smirked, grabbing both cans. But just as he opened one can and turned around, he stopped. He could hear something. A tune? A song? The soft melody of a guitar being played echoed throughout the corridor. This type of playing was... familiar. Following the tune, Katsuragi walked down the corridor, looking into each classroom to find the source. Most of these classrooms were empty, probably spare classrooms though he didn't know there were so many spare classrooms around. Finally he reached the source of the music. Curiosity led him here, and it most definitely made him look into the classroom. The classroom was empty, like all others. The chairs and tables all pushed to the sides of the room in neat rows. Sitting on the teacher's desk, was the source of the music. Kurogane Kou.

"... Extremely super unlucky."

Katsuragi muttered to himself. From what he knew, the sixth division leader was quiet, kept to herself and gets really annoyed at the strangest of reasons. The first time they met she tried to kill him, the second time they met she threw her weapon at him. Not exactly what you would call a 'good first impression'. But... There was something about her. Something about Kurogane Kou that made him... pause. Think. Admire. There was something about her that was captivating, entranced him to just... look. She was a like a ghost, someone who isn't there yet is still there. A figure of purity, of darkness... of solitude and pain. Kou was playing an electric guitar, attached to an amplifier that was sitting next to the teacher's desk on the floor. The door was slightly ajar, allowing Katsuragi to listen in on her song. Her strumming was slow, the tone was soft. A sad song.

**[Song: Kuon ~Utakata**

**Lyrics: Lyrics by**

**Music by Takumaru**

**Performed by Chata]**

_toki no kioku no naka ukabu_

_futari sugoshite kita hibi wo usurete iku_

_(The days we spent together_

_Are fading inside the history of time)_

_shiroku kasumu omoide fukai yami ni oowareta genjitsu_

_itami ni mo nite kokoro hikisakare namida afureru_

_(Those white, hazy memories are hidden by the deep darkness_

_My tears flow to this pain-like reality, ripping my heart)_

_kienaide nee_

_yakusoku shita no ni kono te wo hanasanaide_

_(Please don't vanish_

_Didn't you promise? Don't let go of my hand)_

_tsuyoku yubi wo karamasete anata motomeru_

_omoi wo komete utau kuon wo negau uta_

_(Fold your fingers tight, I seek for you_

_I gather my thoughts and recite a poem that wishes for eternity)_

_toki wo kasumaseteku sadame_

_hitori nureta hitomi fuse kuchibiru kami_

_(This fate was made hazy by time_

_Alone, I wipe off my wet eyes and bite my lip)_

_hanarete iku kizuna ga mune no oku ni kitsuku tsume wo tateru_

_kuruoshii hodo itami fukaku made watashi wo kowasu_

_(Our ever-weakening bond claws deep inside my heart_

_This maddening pain is breaking me down deeply)_

_aishiteru nee_

_kono koe todokeru kaze yo fuke ano hito e_

_(I love you_

_Wind, blow away and send my voice to him)_

_haruka kanata ni hirogaru sora wo miagete_

_chiyo wo kakeyo to utau ai wo tsuranuku uta_

_(I gaze up the sky that stretches far and wide_

_And recite over thousands of years a poem that pierces love)_

_kienaide nee_

_yakusoku shita no ni kono te wo hanasanaide_

_(Please don't vanish_

_Didn't you promise? Don't let go of my hand)_

_tsuyoku yubi wo karamasete anata motomeru_

_omoi wo komete utau kuon wo negau uta wo_

_(Fold your fingers tight, I seek for you_

_I gather my thoughts and recite a poem that wishes for eternity)_

_chiyo ni yachiyo ni utau ai wo tsuranuku uta_

_(And recite for thousands and thousands of years a poem that pierces love)_

The song ended in a sad tone, and without realizing it, Katsuragi was crying waterfalls. Kou paused for the moment, putting down the guitar, reaching by her hip and-

**BANG**

Katsuragi stared in horror at the smoking hole that was made right next to his head, off by a milimetre. In fact, one of his hair was singed. The smoking gun was in Kou's hand.

"Tch... missed."

She muttered, pulling the hammer from her pistol again.

"Woah woah! I'm not an enemy!"

Katsuragi said, bursting through the door with his hands up. Kou stared at him with her usual dead fish eyes. Her gaze was almost too painful to endure. She still did not put down her gun, and the two stared at one another for a long time.

"... Erm... I'm also from the SSS2."

Katsuragi offered-

**BANG**

A second shot, this one zinging past his cheek, grazing it in the process and causing him to bleed a little.

"... Missed again."

Kou muttered.

_[Katsuragi pissed his pants]_

Kou kept her pistol away, turning her focus back on her guitar.

"... Don't sneak around... Thought I sensed an Angel..."

Kou muttered, strumming a few notes before tuning her strings. Katsuragi heaved a sigh of relief. A huge sigh of relief. At least he didn't die. Yet. Did he dare say lucky?

"... What... were you doing there?"

Kou asked, still not looking at him while she continued to tune her guitar. Should Katsuragi tell her the truth? Maybe she will shoot him again. At this range, he was sure she would not miss. Did she miss on purpose before? Options.

a) Tell truth and be shot at

b) Tell lie and be shot at

c) Say nothing and be shot at

d) Run away and be shot, stabbed and skewered

Ah... those weren't really choices now were they? Well, if anything, best to say the truth.

"I... overheard some music."

He admitted, closing his eyes to brace for the inevitable. But...

"... I see."

Kou answered. Katsuragi's inevitable never came. He opened one eye, seeing Kou plucking a few chords on her guitar. She did not mind him listening in?

"... You're not mad?"

He asked. Kou stopped playing and looked at him.

"... Should I be?"

She asked back. Katsuragi shook his head rather violently. Kou turned her gaze back to her guitar, playing a few more notes. This intense atmosphere could not get any more tense than it already is. The leader of the sixth division, the Guardians, sitting there and playing guitar while he, just a corporal from the Wolves, was standing there like an idiot. Should he strike up a conversation? But how? He should run away as soon as possible! This is the reaper we're talking about! She hunts even humans who would even THINK of betraying the organization! Wait a minute... that means... running away will get him killed!

"... Are you drinking that?"

Kou asked, making Katsuragi snap out of his weird thoughts.

"What?"

"... That... I asked if you were drinking that."

She repeated, pointing at his hand. He looked down and saw the second can of Key coffee.

"Erm... here."

He passed the can to her. Kou took the can and opened it, taking a sip from it before putting it down on the table she was sitting on. She then went on to play the guitar. This was getting really... stifling. Think of a conversation! Think! Otherwise Katsuragi will die from this oddly silent pressure!

"Erm... I-.. I heard your song just now."

Katsuragi blurted out. Kou stopped and looked at him.

"... You said that before."

She answered simply.

"Oh, did I? Er... I meant... it's a... it's a nice song."

"..."

Kou stared blankly at him. Now he's done it. He went ahead to say something stupid! That was such a sad song! Even though it was nice to listen to, he should pay attention to its meaning! It obviously is a sad song for Kou! Something that would only deepened her scar even further! Now he was dead man. A dead man with low IQ.

"... I... See."

Kou said, turning her gaze to her guitar.

"... Huh?"

Katsuragi wasn't shot at? He's still alive? That... that's amazing! More like why? Maybe... maybe she didn't mind?

"... M-may I ask something?"

He tried his luck. Kou nodded a little as she plucked the strings.

"... I-is that song... for your lover?"

Kou stopped playing. That's it, he's dead. How insensitive can one person get? !

"... Yes. It is... for Akira."

Kou nodded, closing her eyes. Akira... as in Fudou Akira? The founder of Big Site. So he was Kurogane Kou's lover?

"... It's a very nice song, though sad. He must be a very lucky man."

JUST WHAT IS HE SAYING? !

"... No. He wasn't lucky."

Katsuragi was puzzled by her reply. Not lucky for having her? What did she mean?

"... If he didn't meet me... maybe he would not have disappeared."

What was she saying? If she did not meet him?

"If I weren't here... they wouldn't be any Angels, no battle of Big Site... It was all... my fault."

"How... how could it be your fault?"

How could she blame herself? The battle of Big Site of because of the sudden appearance of the Angels, a new enemy to the organization at that time, and also in large numbers. There was no way Kou was a cause of that.

"... This World has rules. Rules that were set in place by someone... Someone who knew... that this place was never meant to be a safe haven for us."

Kou said, looking off out of the window.

"We all came here... with pain... with sadness... with darkness... with regrets... This place was meant... to take that all away... But what good would this system be... if it did not have something to ensure that the rules are obeyed?... That... is the Shadow... that... is the Angel. They are here... because we broke the rules... we stayed too long... we became too attached... we came... to love... We were never meant to be here... yet we are... The Shadows... are the darkness within us... absorbed by this World... manifested violently... by the program... I broke more of the system's rules... by falling in love... by clinging onto hope... I never needed hope... I never had any... I am a mere burden..."

Katsuragi was starting to feel irritated. With Kou. With her thinking. Without thinking, he banged his fist against the wall, making Kou shift her eyes.

"Don't... don't talk about yourself like that."

He said through gritted teeth.

"... Why? It is my life... I can say what I want... about it."

"But still! Don't just throw your own soul away! Don't throw away your worth! So many people depend on you! To them, you mean something! Even Fudou-san! Would he want you to hate yourself for him? Would he want you to just throw away your life? ! If Fudou-san really loved you, would he tell you to just give up? ! Try to remember! Remember what he was like! What he had said!"

Katsuragi shouted at Kou. The sixth division leader showed no sign of a reaction, only looking at Katsuragi somewhat intently. She closed her eyes in thought. Akira. What was he like? What were his words. Katsuragi, now vented his anger, realized that he just shouted at not only a higher ranking member, but he shouted at THE sixth division leader. He was dead. If he wasn't dead before, he was dead now. But if he was going to die, he might as well go all the way. It was... something that Kou said that he found he could not forgive.

Something he did not want her to think and believe. He wanted to save her. Never mind the organization and the on-going war against the Shadows and Angels. Never mind the training, the requests, the weapons. Never mind the divisions, the squads, the leaders. As Katsuragi, as a man, he wanted to save Kurogane Kou. From the first time they met, Katsuragi felt a strange bond between them. It was unexplainable, but he knew that no matter what, Kou will be the one he must protect, the one he must save from the darkness.

"... I... I may not know what Fudou-san was like... But... your feelings for him were certainly those of the type that were reciprocated... such feelings that could only be produced if he loved you back... if he could love you in such a way... if his feelings for you were even a fraction of your feelings for him... then I'm sure that he would not want you to keep yourself locked down by the past... Aaah! I-I'm sorry! I stepped out of line there!"

It's too late to apologize. Kou looked at him before looking back down at the guitar. Pressing down on the strings constantly was starting make her fingers coarse. If Akira saw her hands now, he would freak out. That was for sure.

"... Tell me... what do you think... Akira would have said to me."

Kou asked, closing her hand as she closed her eyes.

"Huh? But I-"

"Just tell me... anything. Why do you think Akira... would not want me to feel like this."

Katsuragi was slightly confused by Kou's words, but he slowly thought about it. Why did he say those things? It was true, that Kou's feelings were real and painful.

"... If I had to say, it would be your song."

"My... song?"

"Yes. You conveyed your feelings so strongly and vividly through your song. There was no way that such a pure form of love would not be reciprocated. I'm sure that Fudou-san loved you dearly as well. I'm not too sure about love since I can't remember anything, but I'm certain that such a strong bond would not be want to be broken down like that. Fudou-san would not want you to be in despair. He would want you to be strong."

Katsuragi said his piece. Would Kou accept it? Or would she reject it? He had really stepped out of line and went beyond what was asked. But.. it was necessary. Somewhere deep within his mind, he felt like he needed to say it. He wanted to prevent her from falling deeper into the well of self-hate. Kou was in deep thought for quite some time, making Katsuragi rather nervous. The chances of her accepting it was now getting slimmer by each passing second of silence. Then, Kou opened her eyes. Katsuragi felt as though Kou was... more alive. Her eyes now showed some sort of life in her that was missing from before.

"You say some interesting things... what is your name?"

She asked.

"Erm... Corporal Katsuragi, Fort's Wolves."

He replied automatically, somewhat mesmerized by her change.

"Wolves... Iori's squad. I see. Iori sure has gotten hold of some... interesting members."

Kou smiled. Wait... she did WHAT? ! She- She- She- She-... SMILED? ! The World was going to end. Katsuragi was going to die. He knew it. He was now a dead man.

"Katsuragi... was it?... You say some interesting things... It is almost like... you were talking to Akira.. that he told you what to say to me... It is weird... for me to think he is still here with me... even in this land of the Afterlife... that he would still be here as a ghost. A ghost of a ghost... irony if I ever heard of one..."

Kou had not spoken so many words before... with that smiling face!

"Or... it is almost like... you are Akira himself... Yes... like Akira himself... You are similar to him..."

Kou trailed off, before tuning her guitar again.

"... Please listen to one more of my song... as thanks for telling me that... and for the drink..."

Kou said. Katsuragi did not know what to say, but Kou started to play first few notes of the song.

**[Song: Kienaide...**

**Vocals: yozuca***

**Lyrics: yozuca***

**Composition: yozuca*]**

_Ano hi yakusokushita futari o oboeteru?_

_Itsumo doko ni ite mo kokoro wa hitotsu da yo to_

_(Do you remember when we made a promise on that day?_

_That our hearts will always be one, no matter where we're at?)_

_Kimi ga tonari ni iru atarimae no sekai ni_

_Koko de ima "sayonara" ieru hazu mo nai yo ne_

_(In this natural world where you're next to me_

_I shouldn't be able to say "goodbye" here and now)_

_Koko ni…koko ni iru yo te to te tsunaide hanasanaide_

_(Here…we're here; hold our hands together; don't let go)_

_Nee kienaide wasuretakunai yo_

_Kimi ga iru kara watashi ga iru no ni_

_Douka kienaide hitori ni shinaide_

_Kokoro zenbu de kimi o omotteru_

_(Hey, don't disappear; I don't want to forget about you_

_Because you exist, I exist_

_Please don't disappear; don't leave me on my own_

_I'm thinking of you with all of my heart)_

_Nani mo kawaranai to shinjite ita mirai wa_

_Futari ayunde yuku owarinaki monogatari_

_(The future where I believed that nothing would change_

_Is an endess story that we'll walk through together)_

_Moshi mo kono sekai no subete o nakushite mo_

_Kimi no egao dake wa mamoritsuzukete itai_

_(Even if I lose all of this world_

_I want to just keep protecting your smile)_

_Hitori…hitori-kiri ja kotae nante sagasenai yo_

_(Alone…all alone, I can't search for the answer)_

_Nee kienaide wasuretakunai yo_

_Kimi o shiranai watashi nado iranai_

_Douka kienaide hitori ni shinaide_

_Kokoro zenbu de kimi o omotteru_

_(Hey, don't disappear; I don't want to forget about you_

_I don't need a me who doesn't know about you_

_Please don't disappear; don't leave me on my own_

_I'm thinking of you with all of my heart)_

_Nee kienaide wasuretakunai yo_

_Kimi o mamoreru watashi ni naru kara_

_Douka kienaide hitori ni shinaide_

_Kokoro zenbu de kimi o omotteru_

_(Hey, don't disappear; I don't want to forget about you_

_Because I'll become a me who can protect you_

_Please don't disappear; don't leave me on my own_

_I'm thinking of you with all of my heart)_

Kou finished playing the song and looked to Katsuragi, who was bursting waterfalls again.

"... I'm sorry... sad songs are the only things... I know..."

Kou said, but Katsuragi shook his head.

"No... it was... it was beautiful... thank you very much!"

Kou could only smile at Katsuragi. Yes... so much like Akira.

"... Next time..."

"Huh?"

"... Would you listen to my songs next time?"

Kou asked. Katsuragi wiped away his tears and nodded with a smile.

"Of course. I will listen to it no matter where, and when."

Kou smiled a little at that answer.

"... I will... learn another song by then... so... look forward to it."


	24. Chapter 24

A/N: Like i said before, i will be pushing out chapters as fast as i can. It may come to a point where i will shorten the total number of chapters. Well, we will see how it goes from here. Like i said, there is only one more week left before i will put this story on temporary haitus. For now, just enjoy the chapter. I think some of you will like this one.

* * *

Because i wasn't clear at times, i will now put out a list of enemies that the Organization faces, starting from the weakest.

Enemy lists:

_NPCs:_

-**Student Council**  
- This group rarely comes out to challenge the SSS2 directly

-**Disciplinary Committee**

-**Teachers**  
- this group does not really appear to do anything

_Shadows:_

-**Infantry**  
- Most numerous and basic

-**Stalker**  
- First seen when Katsuragi and the new Fort members went down to collect their weapons for the first time  
- Able to avoid traps  
- Hide in shadows  
- Largely undetectable  
- almost no attack power

-**Spawners**  
- First seen during Katsuragi's recruitment test  
- Able to create clones of itself  
- Usually plants itself in one fixed spot to clone itself

-**Cannibal**  
- First seen during Katsuragi's first promotion request  
- Eats other Shadows to power itself up  
- Requires Squad leader level to defeat when powered up

-**Giant (Gigas)**  
- Unusually large Shadow (approximately ranging from ten metres tall to twenty metres)  
- Quite rare, usually the combination of multiple Shadows

-**Burst  
**- Suicidal Shadow  
- Explodes itself after jumping into SSS2 members

_Angels:_

-**Type D**  
- NPCs with guns  
- Have gone against their original programming  
-Extremely weak

**-Type C**  
- Able to change basic composition of their weapons**  
**

-**Type B**  
- Smarter than normal  
- Enhanced physical abilities  
- Equal to a Squad leader

-**Type A**  
- Leader capabilities  
- Capable to make people disappear  
- Equal to a Guardian in strength

-**Type S**  
- Able to change their own body's composition  
- Twelve are known to exist  
- Equal to division leaders

-**Type EX**  
- Unknown powers  
- Godly powers?  
- Only one has been seen  
- Only Kurogane Kou is known to match them in power

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 24_

_Bear versus Boar_

Back in the World of living

Sakurai Yuri, once known as Nakamura Yuri, was getting impatient. Extremely. It has been several weeks since Kamiya Yuzuru, formerly known as Otonashi Yuzuru, told them that he knew of a way to get back in 'that' World. And yet in these few weeks, Yuzuru has yet to produce anything. He only told them that it requires time. What sort of thing requires time? !

"Maybe he's preparing for some ancient dark ritual."

Kitamura Yui said. Yui, Hideki's girlfriend and all-round hyper girl. She has not changed in the least since coming to this World. Yuri had to wonder if there was something wrong with this girl on the molecular and spiritual level. It can't be that her upbringing caused her personality to become like this twice in a row.

"With black magic, he needs to gather eye of newt, tail of spider, hand of hawk-"

"Those things don't exist."

"What if he needs to train his muscles! He must be trying to compete with mine!"

"No one is a hidden body-builder like you- Don't take off your shirt!"

Idiots. They are all idiots. Yuri had to surround herself with idiots. But... it was this atmosphere, this warmth that she wanted... it was this feeling that she wished for when she left 'that' World. Because she wished for it, that it came true. She came to this World to meet them once more. But... she was now going back. Dragging them all along with her, she was going to head back into the battlefield. It was something she needed to do, to finally put her past behind her. She will end this. No matter what. It was at this moment that Yuzuru came into the room. Everyone in the room all got up, anticipating what Yuzuru wanted to say.

"... Er... did I miss something?"

Yuzuru asked, seeing everyone on their feet.

"We were waiting, Kamiya-kun... waiting for what method you have to send us back into 'that' World."

Yuri said, her voice rather irate.

"Oh... erm... that would have to wait for awhile longer."

Yuri's nerve snapped.

"... WHAT DID YOU SAY? !"

Yuri shouted, banging one foot on the table.

"Well, it takes time to prepare... and it seems like I cannot make a connection unless the 'other' side is ready. And they aren't."

Yuzuru explained. This caught Yuri's attention.

"... You have contacts from 'that' World?"

"... In a way, yes. But I cannot tell you who they are, or how to contact them. Just trust me on this."

Yuri bit her lip, not liking it when Yuzuru used that word.

"... Fine. We'll wait."

Yuri sighed, sitting back in her chair.

"Yurippe? Are you sure about it?"

Takagi, the halberd wielding idiot asked, pointing his (replica) halberd at Yuzuru.

"If you want, I can force him to speed up the process."

"Oi, put that away. You'll poke someone's eye out."

"That's the idea."

"Don't make it the idea!"

"That's enough!"

Yuri shouted, silencing the room.

"Kamiya-kun must have a reason for not opening the way so soon... So? What do you have for us in the mean time?"

She asked, noting the stack of documents in Yuzuru's hand.

"This... is something all of you should see."

Yuzuru smirked, putting the stack on the table. Yuri grabbed the first one and took a look through it.

"... What is this, a website?"

She asked.

"An English website I found. It is a gathering place for people who claim to have experienced another life time."

Yuzuru replied.

"... There are idiots like these everywhere. How does this help us?"

Yuri was now getting a little more irritated.

"Wait for me to explain everything. You see, I thought that it was all a hoax or just a group of delusional idiots. But after digging around more, I found something interesting in each section. This."

Yuzuru took out a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Yuri.

"'A place where we get rid of regrets' 'limbo was like a school'... This is-"

Yuri started to see what was going on. Yuzuru nodded with a smile.

"We aren't alone, Yuri. There are hundreds, no.. thousands of people out there in the World who have experienced similar things to us. This leads me to think that there are other 'Afterlife' Worlds, perhaps one for each culture."

Yuri was certainly surprised by this find. It was exciting... no, invigorating, to see such a large number of people who felt and did the same thing as they did. They truly weren't alone out there.

"There also seems to be a different form of 'limbo' for different age group. Some places have claimed that they tried to fight back, but ended up like us, reincarnating into this World. I had gotten into contact with some groups and explained our situation. Some groups have responded favourably, and more will follow."

Yuzuru said.

"... There must thousands of us... we don't have a small band of students any more... this is... an army."

Yuri said, realizing what Yuzuru was trying to do.

"Yes. We have an army. We will stop this Yuri, but to do it we must ensure that nothing goes wrong."

"I understand... take all the time you need, but you must still hurry... my... dreams... they have not been going well these few nights. I fear the worst."

Yuri told Yuzuru with a grim face. Yuzuru's smile dropped immediately.

"I know, Yuri... I know."

.

.

"Anyway, since when did you learn ten different languages?"

* * *

Back in Purgatory [Japan Teenagers}

The last thing that Katsuragi wanted to do, was to help out with Yuuko any more than he should. After Operation: Mine-sweeper, Yuuko made another Operation. Operation: Steam was nothing more than boiling overly large boiler tanks all around the school in an effort to blow them up. Yuuko called it 'collecting data' though Katsuragi highly doubted it. Operation: Torrent was actually raiding the kitchen supplies. Though Katsuragi expected that Operation to be fiercer, the truth is that the cafeteria is completely closed after ten at night, so at eleven, they just strolled in and took what they needed and left. So much a for a torrent.

There were a few more Operations Katsuragi participated in and his body was starting to give out. Yuuko would not let him leave, not at all. Just how much longer does she need assistance from a Wolf? Wait... maybe it was BECAUSE he was a Wolf, that she did not want to let him go. A Wolf member was useful to have around, after all they were meant to be extremely good, second best in the organization. And since they aren't part of your force, you can use them until they are all dried up like rags. And that was probably what Katsuragi was at the moment, a dried up rag.

Katsuragi sighed, cursing his own fate as he walked into Guild. He had spent the past week down in the tunnels of Guild, helping Yuuko with her weird eccentric ideas. None were so good. He walked by a group of Assault members who were wearing some thick clothing. Were they preparing for something? But what would you need thick clothing for?

"Yo, Katsuragi-chii. Morning."

Yuuko greeted him with her usual grin. That grin was now in his nightmares.

"How was your sleep? Well, since you've been here a week, you should be accustomed to it by now."

Yuuko without pause or his reply.

"Thanks to you and several other Wolves, Guild is more or less back at full potential."

Yuuko smiled, passing him a large stack of Meal tickets and some additional magazines for his weapons.

"This is for the last job. Good job getting the generators back online. Can't believe that a loose screw found its way into the gears."

Yuuko laughed though Katsuragi wasn't. Loose screws are all over this place. Not just the screws. The people had a lot of loose screws here.

"Anyway, I need you for one more job. The Runners are having a major problem with their work. Topside has been hectic for the past three days and the Runners are slowed down in their jobs. Help them out and you'll be paid well for it."

Yuuko told him before she walked off. The Runners of Fort, also called Overcharge. They were seen everywhere, running from one place to another delivering supplies, documents and weapons. If Guild was the heart of the Organization, then the Runners were the red blood cells that carried oxygen throughout the body. They were vital to the organization and were the shadow workers that made this organization work. Still, even though you see runners almost everywhere, you don't really get to... see them.

Katsuragi meant that they never stick around long enough for you to actually realize they are there. They run around without a sound, appearing and disappearing like ninjas, dropping supplies and such around the school like Santa on steroids. So Katsuragi now had to find these mystic warriors... or road runners, which ever you think is more appropriate. But how was he to find the leader of these people? Just who is the leader of these ninjas? Somehow Hattori Hanzo came to mind.

"Hm? Aren't you that Katsuragi fellow?"

A voice spoke up, making Katsuragi turned. Standing there was a familiar face. More like two familiar faces. Takamachi Yukari and Amatsu Len. Both from the sixth division. While Yukari was full of smiles, Len... wasn't.

"**KA .TSU. RA. GI!**"

Len was stomping her way to him, her large crescent blades drawn was looking rather dangerous. Then Yukari stopped her by grabbing onto Len from the back.

"L-Let go! I'm going to kill this bastard!"

Len screamed, waving her blade at Katsuragi who backed away slowly.

"Sorry about that, Katsuragi. Ever since you became friendly with our leader, this one has been nothing but jealous the entire time. Don't know what you did, but our leader had been going on nothing but talk about you for one entire day-"

"I WILL KILL HIM!"

"Right right, let's cool off a little, shall we?"

Yukari smiled a little, making Len more angry.

"I don't need to cool off! I'm going to skewer him-"

_CRACK_

With a quick snap of the neck, Amatsu Len was put out of commission by Yukari. Dusting off her hands, Yukari's smile now seemed to have some sort of evil look to it.

"Ah, much better. Never thought I would hear the end of it. Now then, I must thank you for whatever you did to our leader."

Yukari bowed to him.

"E-eh? But I did nothing at all."

"Not true. You must have done something, otherwise your mere 'nothings' must have really flipped some switches in our half dead leader. She's taken on playing the guitar everyday now, saying something about needing to change."

Needing to change. It would be something Kou needed eventually. All she needed was the right direction to go by. That was all Katsuragi did, point her in the right direction. Katsuragi had met with Kou for two more times after that incident with Operation: Mine sweeper, both times she came down to Guild to get her weapons checked. For some reason, Kou would not talk much when they meet. She would just ask him one question and expect him to answer with ten paragraphs. But it was clear to Katsuragi that she wanted to hear it. No him... she wanted to hear Akira. Kou had told him before that he was very much like Akira, and maybe that was why she sought him. She wanted to hear her lover.

"... She wasn't listening to me."

Katsuragi sighed.

"Hm? What are you talking about?"

"... Whenever we meet, Kurogane-san... she wasn't listening to me, or even looking at me. She... she said she sees Akira in me."

At that, Yukari raised an eyebrow, rubbing her chin in thought.

"Akira?... I see. I see... Well, you do resemble him quite a bit."

"She came to see me because she wanted to see him again, wanted to hear the words he would say to her. It just so happens that what I say is somewhat similar to Akira."

Katsuragi muttered. For some reason, he was getting the feeling that he was putting himself down. Though it was the truth.

"So... you're saying that she sees you in order to see someone else?... Katsuragi, do you really believe that?"

Yukari asked with a dead serious face.

"H-huh? Y-yeah.. why else?"

"... I see. Katsuragi, do you know the meaning of 'When one asks a question, one already knows the answer being sought'?"

"... No."

What does that mean in the first place?

"... Go think about it. That would be your homework for now. Just remember, don't close yourself off from the truth just because you believe it to be so. Oh yeah, I heard that you're looking for Shinobu-chan. You should look for her over by the third tunnel of A-5. She's always there. Well, most of the time."

With that, Yukari left, dragging Len's corpse behind her.

"... The answer being sought..."

What does that mean? And who is Shinobu?

"Sigh, well, I've got no other leads anyway."

Katsuragi muttered, walking over to the tunnel A-5. Tunnel A-5 was the tunnel that was used mostly by the Assault division and was probably the longest tunnel with the most number of exit points. This meant...

"What third tunnel?"

Katsuragi sighed, starting his search. Actually, it did not take him long to find who he was looking for. Standing outside the third tunnel, which clearly had a sign saying 'third tunnel', Katsuragi was dumbfounded by what he was seeing. A door with the large sign 'Shinobu's room' was sitting right in front of him at the end of the short tunnel. The door was slight run down and looked as though it was stolen from a classroom. Still... why 'Shinobu's room'?

"... Nothing makes sense in here."

Katsuragi muttered, walking up to the door and knocking on it. He waited for a response but heard none. He knocked on it once more. Still nothing. He tried the door handle and found that it was unlocked. Was the person not in? He stepped into dark room, unsure of what he would find. It was pitch black in the room and Katsuragi slammed his foot against various items.

"Ow ow ow... what the... where is the light switch in here?"

Katsuragi fumbled about the room, looking for a switch of some kind, and his hand hit something that felt vaguely like a light switch. Without hesitating, he hit it. A giant wash basin slammed on his head instead.

"What... the... Who... uses... wash basins... these days..."

_[Katsuragi is unconscious]_

* * *

When Tomoyo said she would train Yamato, Yamato seriously did not think that Tomoyo would be such a devil instructor.

"Another five laps!"

Tomoyo shouted as Yamato panted and wheezed, running around an obstacle course for two hundred laps whilst dragging two car tires. Who drags tires these days? Just the day before Tomoyo had Yamato sit under a waterfall to 'meditate', as well as punch tree logs that came flying down the waterfall. What sort of shounen manga training schedule is this? Yamato swore that if she continued with this she could probably compete with some Houkuto. Maybe she will be able to do a 'isshun sengeki'. Her energy giving out, Yamato collapsed onto the ground, her vision almost blacking out.

"You still have two more laps."

Tomoyo said, walking over to Yamato and uncapping a bottle of water, pouring it onto the younger girl's face. Yamato coughed and gagged on some water.

"Awake now? Good. Add ten more laps and another five for every second you can't get back up on your feet."

Demon. Tomoyo is a demon. Just how did Ayane withstand this sort of training on a daily basis? Just how did anyone take on this sort of training? Yamato struggled to her feet, and pushed herself to continue.

"Remember, you wanted this. You wanted power and since you want it fast, this is the result. Did you think that the fast method would come without any pain?"

Tomoyo shouted at Yamato, who was now unable to run and was now dragging her feet. Yamato was tired, but Tomoyo could still see the fire inside her eyes. Yamato had not given up. She was driven. And that is why she is dangerous. Tomoyo will break that spirit, sooner or later Yamato will break. Some people think that proof of strength is having how much determination within you. Tomoyo thought different. She believed that once you had your spirit crushed, your determination demolished, that you would understand the true meaning of strength. If you are able to recover your drive after having gone through hell and back, then you would have obtained true strength. An old Spartan form of thinking.

"Yo, Tomoyo. I see you got yourself a new student. A Wolf member too."

Tomoyo did not bother to turn as Fujibayashi Kyou walked over.

"What do you want, Kyou? The recruits are more or less trained. I've let Shimagawa take over the training."

Tomoyo said, continuing to watch Yamato do the obstacle course with two tires dragging behind.

"I don't really care about the recruit training. It's not my job in the first place. Still, didn't you say you were tired of training people?"

Kyou asked.

"... Kusanagi reminds me of the past."

"Of your past?"

"... Ours."

Kyou said nothing at that. It was true, the drive that they had in the past was similar to Yamato's. In fact, they were angry. They hated their lives, despised their weak self. They sought power to correct their mistakes. But somewhere along the years they realized that their path was an empty one. That power was something they did not seek. Tomoyo knew that from the beginning... but... tempted by power... tempted by the possibility of changing herself. Taeno Yuki. The Queen of Fort had a way with words. Yuki had a way with bending words and reality, making it seem as though she is constantly right. And perhaps she is. But Yuki isn't evil. No... Yuki was one who suffered a lot of pain, and it was because of the pain that she suffered she cannot forgive. In a way, Yuki was like Kou. But unlike Kou, Yuki never had anyone able to console her. She was too proud, to stubborn to change her mind. As such... Yuki is now-

"Don't think about it."

Kyou said, breaking Tomoyo's thoughts.

"... You're right. It isn't our problem at the moment."

Tomoyo nodded.

"... By the way, Kyou... what did you do to Ayane?"

"Mitsuhide? I only asked her to check up on something."

Kyou replied.

"You made her go into the Woods alone with ten Shadows without back-up... did you really believe I wouldn't find out?"

"And you think I wouldn't find out that you applied for your student to get an A ranked personalized weapon, did you?"

Kyou shot back.

"She's my student, and I'd say she is more than ready to have one."

"She's only a corporal. Only Warrant Officers and above can apply for one unless you are a Guardian or squad leader. The rules are clear."

"The rules are stupid."

"I wrote some of those rules."

"You are stupid."

.

.

.

The two most powerful women in the Assault division were now having a moment of intense silence, even though they still weren't facing each other throughout the entire time. Then-

"You know last night's meal? I may have 'accidentally' added sugar in your bowl."

Kyou started with a smirk.

"You know what? I had a very good meal just now consisting of... PORK."

Tomoyo shot back. That made Kyou's eyes widen.

"Y-you don't mean-"

"Ever wonder why you don't see your precious Botan lately?"

"Y-you... Ever wondered what happened to a certain 'teddy bear'?"

"... You didn't-"

"The fire that night had some extra spark to it."

.

.

.

The two women suddenly jumped away from one another, the aura radiating from the two of them was enough to crack the ground and make grass wilt.

"... As I thought... we can never get along with one another."

Kyou muttered menacingly.

"I agree... How could you have ever thought to be the same as me... I went out with 'him' as a girlfriend. You simply sat there as your own sister took 'him'."

"I had no choice. It was for my sister... and you... you caused him to die."

"You did have a choice. You always had a choice. And I did not kill him, he fell ill."

"Same thing."

"You never told me the truth about your past."

"I don't need to."

.

.

.

"... You will die now."

Kyou glowered, reaching into her sling bag which she had by her side.

"... You will die a thousand times."

Tomoyo answered back, clenching her gloved fists.

.

.

.

**DING **

**FIGHT!**

" " **ACCESS** " "

"Sub routine: Creation, item: the Hard truth!"

Kyou shouted, bringing out an extremely large hard-covered book. The book itself was larger than Kyou herself so how did she fit it in her bag?

"Sub routine: Enhancement, Strength: fists!"

The Gloves on Tomoyo's hands started to glow.

"SAKAGAMI TOMOYO!"

"FUJIBAYASHI KYOU!"

The two girls charged at each other. It was a battle of epic proportions, a battle of titans as the ground around them blew up from the sheer power that the two were emitting. Trees uprooted and tossed for miles away like they weighed nothing. The ground had become a large crater, all life seemed to be obliterated within a good five metre radius from ground zero. Kyou and Tomoyo pressed hard against each other, trying to blast the other away. Large book against reinforced gloves. The pressure had built up to its critical point before the two separated, jumping away from one another.

"Access: 'Seven-hundred page history'."

Kyou muttered, her large book opening up and pages started to fly out of the book at lightning speed at Tomoyo. Tomoyo dodged the pages that flew at her like rain, some pages managing to cut her but Tomoyo was still standing strong.

"Access: 'Earth-shaker'."

Tomoyo lightly jumped, only a slight height in the air, flipping her body and crashing her foot into the ground, causing giant cracks to form from the point of impact, spreading all around. A few cracks reached Kyou, who lost her balance slightly and had to cancel her attack. Tomoyo used this opportunity to counter attack.

"Access: 'Earth-mover'."

Tomoyo shoved both of her hands into the ground and grabbed it. With one giant pull, Tomoyo lifted a chunk of the ground up and flipped it over to crush Kyou.

"Tch! Access: 'Hundred word shield'!"

Kyou opened her large book and more pages flew, forming a giant wall that stopped the giant piece of ground from crushing her. But Tomoyo used that as a distraction, running by the side and getting through Kyou's shield.

"Access: '9999 hit combo'."

Tomoyo muttered.

"Shi-"

Before Kyou could react, Tomoyo's flurry of kicks connected. A lightning fast combination of high, low and midsection kicks that went too fast for the human eye to see. The kicks happened in such rapid succession that it was impossible to see what was going on other than Tomoyo's feet being a blur that covered Kyou. But something was wrong. Tomoyo knew it. She jumped back immediately. And sure enough, what Tomoyo was hitting wasn't Kyou, but rather a thick pole made of paper. The pole dispersed into thousands of paper, leaving no sign of Kyou.

"A paper copy... I never knew you were a ninja, Kyou."

Tomoyo said, sweating dripping down her brow as Kyou stood behind her.

"I always have a back-up plan, unlike you. Sheesh, even in my past, you were such a barbaric mountain gorilla."

Kyou smirked, slamming her giant book into the ground.

"Access: 'Black Key'."

Pages from her book flew out and into her hands, forming six long and thin swords, three in each hand. Kyou then used her swords at Tomoyo, cutting, slicing without pause. She twisted her body with each swing, brought her arm in full rotations with each turn of her torso. It was like watching a dance. Kyou continued to cut and slice before she slammed her foot down.

"Access: 'Book marker'."

Her swords dispersed and formed together to create one giant sword. The sword was a total length of three metres, one metre in width. The sword formed just nicely as Kyou repositioned her hands and she brought the sword over her head and crashing down onto the ground in front of her. The impact caused yet another explosion, and an even deeper crater than before.

"Hmph... you want the truth? You can't handle my truth."

The dust from the explosion was immense, and Kyou had trouble seeing through the dust. Till a slight wind picked up, showing a small gap in the cloud. Tomoyo was standing there, her arm covered with the same glow from her glove as she used it to block Kyou's Book Marker. Kyou was caught unprepared as she saw Tomoyo's mouth move.

"Access: '9999 hit combo'."

Before Kyou could pull up her guard, Tomoyo swung her leg at her, hitting Kyou squad in the side of her abdomen. This time, it really did hit Kyou.

"Got you this time."

Tomoyo smirked as her attacks continued to connect with Kyou. The flurry of kicks racked up to the total of 9999 kicks before-

"Access: 'Combo-chain'."

Tomoyo twisted her body and sent another few hundred kicks into Kyou.

"Access: 'Combo-breaker'."

Tomoyo slammed her foot into the ground, twisting her body and sent one powerful round-house kick into Kyou. The second in command flew far back, crashing into a tree.

"That is what you get for messing with me."

Tomoyo smirked. But of course, she did not get out of this scratch-free.

"Ow ow ow... damn Kyou... had to use her stupid Book Marker. That thing is a Type A angel killer! Tss... that stings. I think my bones in my left arm have completely turned to dust."

Tomoyo muttered, checking on her own condition. She was more or less bleeding all over.

"Cuts, scratches, missing left arm bone, half of my ribs are broken, pulverized collar bone, collapsed lung, damaged liver, broken right leg, and... I think I cracked my skull."

Tomoyo sighed, thinking of how much trouble this fight was. For the record, it hurts like hell. At this moment, Yamato finally dragged herself over to Tomoyo and collapsed onto the ground. Tomoyo noticed her new student had just continued to run even while the fight was going on.

"Oh, there you are. Good. You're up for another ten laps."

Tomoyo said, earning a groan from Yamato. But Yamato still pushed herself up and managed to find more strength to continue dragging her feet across the now blasted-to-bits obstacle course.

"Well, while she runs, I think I'll go take a nap for these wounds to heal over."

Tomoyo walked over to the same tree Kyou was now part of, the impact she caused made an impression in the tree which trapped Kyou up in the tree. Tomoyo sat down under the tree and closed her eyes.

"... Kyou, we're both ridiculously strong already... it's about time we leave it to the younger ones to take over... Don't you think?"


	25. Chapter 25

A/C: Now it's time to explain the SSS2's usage of the Angel Program. Since i'm not going to explain it in the chapters, i might as well put it in the A/Cs.

The SSS2 is using a 'pirated' version of the Angel Program, or something along the lines of a 'back-door'. When they realized that the Angel Program was responsible for this war, they sought to end it but realized that the Program cannot be stopped unless all 'users' (Angels and Shadows) have been eliminated. Shadows and Angels are infinite in number and the Organization knew that if they could not fight the Angels with their own weapons, they would have to rely on the thing that gave the Angels their power, the Program.

Initial attempts to use the program resulted in catastrophic failures. The last of these failures resulted in a large number of Type A Angels appearing, as well as the Type EX Angel making an appearance. It has been called 'That day' or 'that incident' by the division leaders. It is also coincidentally the day that Katsuragi appeared in the World of the Afterlife.

Even though there were failures, the SSS2 managed to 'replicate' the program though they can only draw a portion of the program's true potential. The power they use is inversely proportionate to the individual's own unique personality and powers.

The Division leaders use an advance form of the Program, and thus need to chant out a passage similar to script writing in Java or typing in a password to access the program. It acts like a preparation phase for both the user and the program, connecting the user to the program and synchronizing the two. The higher the synchronization, the stronger the skill. Awase, her chant almost being non-existent, is considered the weakest of the Division leaders who use this method of the Program.

For the others, they use the more basic form. As the usages are basic in nature, the user merely needs to 'access' the program normally. There are three main types of usage for the Program: Creation, Enhancement, Weapon

**Creation**  
This is the broadest type of usage for the program, having various different applications. This is the type that is most favoured by the squad leaders due to the near limitless uses it has. This type of skill, however, has limitations. The user can only create one item each time and in order for another item to be created, the previous must be canceled. Creation is able to create things that surpass logic of the living World, though the amount of energy required to create something is extremely taxing. The more far-fetched the item, the more energy is needed to supply the creation.

**Enhancement**  
This is the most used type for almost all SSS2 members who have the proper clearance of Sergeant rank and above. The usage is extremely simple and requires the least amount of energy. Enhancements are usually projected onto the users themselves but it is also possible to apply it temporarily to other things, such as weapons to give them additional power. Enhancements can come in the form of speed, toughness, strength, sight, hearing and even thought processing. Though it may be simple to use, it is also the least varied and it takes a lot of experience in order to fully master this type of usage. Sakagami Tomoyo is one of the few masters of this usage.

**Weapons**  
Any person who is able to gain an A ranked personalized weapon would also have this. This type of usage of the program is used to make weapons 'unique', adding different powers to the weapons and 'bonding' them with their users. The program would require weapons that are made from special essences and dirt in order to fully function. This usage also allows the user to essentially 'summon' their weapons despite the distance that separates the two.

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 25_

_Faster than wind_

Katsuragi awoke, feeling like his head had gone through yet another Operation mine sweeper. This was not good. He took a moment to reorientate himself to his surroundings. Where was he? He wasn't in the infirmary, he wasn't lying somewhere in the middle of nowhere. So where was he? He tried to remember what had happened. He was talking to Yukari, then he walked down Tunnel A-5.

Then what? Oh yeah, he was looking for the leader of the Runners so Yukari told him to look for Shinobu. Shinobu? That's right! He went through a door that said 'Shinobu's room', looked for a light switch and got a basin dropped on his head. A WASH BASIN! Dammit! Who the hell put a wash basin there? ! And why was there a switch to drop it on his head? !

"Oh... you're awake now."

A voice said, making Katsuragi turn. Standing there, carrying that very same wash basin, was a girl with long blonde hair and a helmet with biker goggles on her head. A...a...a...

"?"

The girl tilted her head, confused by Katsuragi's expression.

"... A FOREIGNER!"

The wash basin flew at his face again.

"How rude, who are you calling a foreigner?"

The girl said, narrowing her eyes at Katsuragi before she sat down on the floor in one corner of this small room. Taking a look around, after taking off the wash basin, Katsuragi noted that it looked very much like a small 1K LDK flat. (For those wondering, LDK means Living-Dining-Kitchen. 1K equates to a one room apartment with a kitchen. 1DK equates to one room apartment with kitchen and dining etc.) It was really small, cramp, and littered with rubbish. This was clearly a household scene from some NEET (NEET refers to someone who isn't working or going to school, it stands for Not in Education, Employment, or training... coincidentally, I'm currently a NEET every since I got my university certificate), or a hikikomori (Hikikomori refers to someone who is a shut-in, doesn't leave his or her house at all. Worst cases involve a hikikomori shutting themselves in their room and not leaving their room at all, not even the bathroom. Note, I am not one. I do have a life). Just who can live like this?

"... So?"

The girl asked, hugging her knees and glaring at him.

"Huh?"

"What 'huh'? You came here for something, didn't you? No one comes here for no reason."

The girl said.

"A-ah... I was asked by Himura-san to help out with the runners. Then Takamachi-san from the Guardians asked me to seek out 'Shinobu'."

Katsuragi explained. The girl stared at him for a while, before getting up to her feet.

"I see... So you are the reinforcement that the boss promised me."

She said, walking over to the kitchen area and opening the refrigerator

"Reinforcements?"

Katsuragi was confused. The girl took a small red drink packet from the fridge and poked a straw through it to drink.

"... I am first Lieutenant Senjougahara Shinobu, leader of the Runners, Overcharge. I'm surprised you didn't realize that by now."

The girl said, slurping up the last bits of her drink through her straw. Just what was she drinking? The drink packet did not have any labels on it so what could it be? Finishing her drink, Shinobu tossed the packet into a bin next to her fridge and walked over to the door. She stepped outside the door and paused, looking back to Katsuragi.

"... Aren't you following?"

Shinobu asked. Eh? He was meant to follow? Katsuragi got to his feet and followed Shinobu out of the room and back into the tunnel A-5. As they walked, the two of them did not say a word to one another. Shinobu chewed on some gum that she popped into her mouth, cutting the silence with her chewing. It was disturbing.

"... Erm... so, what am I suppose to do?"

He asked. Shinobu continued to walk on, blowing a bubble with her gum before it burst.

"Follow me... for now."

Shinobu said, sticking her gum back into her mouth. Katsuragi felt extremely uneasy doing as she told him, but he guessed this was necessary as well. The two travelled all the way out of tunnel A-5 and back into Guild. But instead of heading into Guild itself, Shinobu led him towards the other end, right next to the rail-car station. But where Shinobu was heading to wasn't the rail-cars but rather a pile of crates. Katsuragi had always wondered what these crates were for since they never moved from their position.

If they carried supplies, shouldn't they be moved already? Considering the number of times Katsuragi had used the rail-cars to get to Big Site, he had never seen these crates being moved. And now the reason was clear. Shinobu walked over to one of the crates and traced her finger down one of its corner. A slight click could be heard after that and Shinobu walked over to the next crate and pushed its side. Surprisingly, the side gave way like a door, leading into short tunnel that opened up to a large room filled with various crates, supplies and a lot of people. Shinobu turned to face Katsuragi with a smirk.

"Welcome to the lair of the Runners. Try to keep up with our work for we never slow down."

* * *

And never slow down indeed. The entire room was filled with people running to and fro. Not walking. No one walks in this place. So this is the heart of the runners. Looks like a dump. With crates of supplies, weapon stockpiles, food rations and other various items scattered all over the place, it was a miracle the Runners actually got anything delivered. But in fact the Runners did seem like they knew what they were doing. There walls of the room were actually boards with which the names of people who required certain supplies were pinned on. Lists of supplies were divided into divisions that requested them, after that further divided up by the squads and after that further divided up by the people within each squad who requested it.

"We get our goods delivered, no matter where, no matter who, no matter when."

Shinobu said with some pride in her voice as she led Katsuragi through the cluttered room. It seems like in order to walk through this room one must know which steps to take, otherwise you would step on something... or someone.

"Although that saying is our pride, things have changed just recently."

Shinobu continued, leading Katsuragi into a back room where there was less people and much less items lying around. This was probably Shinobu's office, as evident by the mountain stacks of red drink packets in the room. There weren't much of anything else, but that red packet really stood out. Just as Katsuragi was getting more curious over it, Shinobu walked over to the pile and grabbed a packet, poking a straw into it and drinking it, though at a much slower pace than before. Was it some sort of vitamin supplement?

"Our enemy have struck back in a very radical way. Warfare has changed radically topside and the division leaders and scrambling to reorganize the front lines."

Shinobu explained, walking over to her desk and sitting in the chair behind it.

"Not only are the supplies running dry due to the last Operation, but we've got more requests than we can handle. The entire Organization is in need for more things, in particular, food stock."

"... Food?"

Katsuragi was rather surprised by this.

"As I said before, the situation topside has changed radically. Until Guild can get their new line of items mass-produced, we're stuck with having to distribute more food items to keep people happy."

Katsuragi was still having problems understanding this. What was she talking about?

"For now, I've gathered a group to go and investigate a certain find. You're to be part of it."

Shinobu said, throwing a document onto the table for Katsuragi to look at.

"Isn't investigations meant to be under the Intelligence division?"

"They are in-charge of finding out things, yes. But their authority does not extend underground to the tunnels. That is our domain. The team I've assembled consists of ten people, most of them are my own Runners and two of them were recommended by the Boss."

Katsuragi noted that Shinobu's tone changed slightly at mentioning Yuuko. Was it... admiration?

"Though they are strong in their own fields and have been trained in basic battle training, none of them have any real battle experience, which is why I am including you. You are a Wolf corporal, are you not?"

"Y-yes."

Shinobu nodded at his reply.

"Good. That means you have some battle experience. Amongst all of the squads the Wolves are the ones with the hardest promotion tests, so in order to be a Corporal, you must be of certain calibre. Though I do not expect any sort of enemy, it is still to be best prepared. You are to meet with sergeant Okonogi. He's been placed in charge of this mission."

"Just what is it that we're looking for?"

"... To be honest, I'm not too sure."

* * *

Not sure? What the heck did she mean not sure? Katsuragi swears that this organization is just a gathering of crazy people. He met up with Sergeant Okonogi, a short fellow with some imaginary pride of glory stuck in his head, before they set off for their objective.

"Intelligence actually found out about this while they were searching for a new way to get around the security of the disciplinary committee."

Okonogi explained as they headed through the tunnels.

"But since it is underground, it is under our jurisdiction. Well, more like the joint jurisdiction of the Runners and the Provisions division. Thing is, the Provisions squad had been seriously stretched thin for all of the demands."

"I see... what is the difference between the Runners and the Provisions?"

Katsuragi asked, though he somewhat expected Okonogi to scold him for not knowing the difference. But Okonogi didn't scold him.

"Ah, not many know the difference since both the Runners and the Provisions squad do very similar things. We're both under Senjougahara-san anyway so we're both doing the same thing."

"Eh? She can do that? Be in-charge of two squads?"

"Technically, no. The leader of the Raiders (provisions) was consumed by a Shadow some time ago. His last wish was to let Senjougahara-san take over the Raiders as well. To respect his wish as well as respecting the rules of the Organization, the Boss made it such that Senjougahara-san is the leader of both squads, but the Raiders also had a proxy leader who takes care of things and reports to our leader."

"Haa... I see."

It must be tough, being the leader of two squads. Is that why she requires those supplement drinks?

"We're here."

Okonogi said. I look ahead and saw that a large door. Okay, large isn't the right word. Enormous. This was as big as the doors to the warehouses down in Big Site. More over, this pair of doors looked like some sort of secret military base blast doors or something.

"Where are we?"

Katsuragi wondered out loud.

"We're under the infirmary building. This place was hidden from us all this while when the entrance was simply a door behind the staircase. Well, we dug a tunnel from Guild to here so it doesn't matter. What matters now is how to open it."

Okonogi muttered, rubbing his chin in thought.

"Sergeant! We found a strange device here!"

One of the team members shouted.

"Oh, good work!"

Okonogi went over to look at Katsuragi look at the massive door in awe.

"Hmm... looks like some sort of digital pass-code. Do we have a decoder?"

"Yes!"

The team set about with their work as Katsuragi just continued to look at the door. There really wasn't much for him to do. Really. He overheard the team starting to fret and argue over the entry pass-code

"What? The decoder isn't working?"

"More like it isn't even reacting to it."

"Tch... can't believe that there is something that the decoder cannot crack."

"Must be something extremely important."

"Maybe it's the leader of the Angels?"

At that, everyone became silent. Then all eyes turned to Katsuragi. Katsuragi had a very bad feeling about this.

"... eh? Me?"

"Well, you're the expert in battle amongst us, so you're going to take a look."

Okonogi pushed him forward to the pass-code device. Katsuragi had to wonder. If he was the so-called 'battle expert', then why was he asked to crack the code?

"Erm... exactly how am I going to-"

He turned around and noticed that everyone was gone. Hiding behind some rocks very far away.

"..."

So he was a sacrificial lamb now? Just great.

"... Hm?"

Katsuragi took a closer look at the pass-code device. There seems to be a lot more buttons than necessary. And...

"... Isn't this..."

Katsuragi sighed, turning over to where the other team members were.

"... This here is a calculator."

He said out loud.

"... EH? !"

The team shouted in surprise as they rushed over to see. It was true. It was a simple calculator built into the wall. And next to it was... an open button.

.

.

.

"W-well! We found it! Good job! Now, let's open it!"

Okonogi pushed the button without thinking and all the other team members all cringed, covering themselves as though they expected an explosion. No explosions. The giant doors slowly opened, gears cranking and a lot of noise coming out from it, letting Katsuragi and the team step inside. But what they saw was... not what they expected.

"... A farm?"

It was indeed a farm.


	26. Chapter 26

A/N: Glad everyone remembers the garden episode. Though I would like to add my own Operation High Tension, I don't think I'll do it as well as Maeda-san. I'm like what Gilgamesh called Emiya, a Faker. Copying off other people is what we, fanfiction writers, do. Time is running out for me to write so this chapter could be the last. I could squeeze in one more short chapter, but we'll have to see. If this is my last chapter, hope you guys enjoyed this story so far and hope you guys will be patient enough to wait for me to resume writing!

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 25_

_Blood Pact_

"So, you're saying that it was something from the past gardening club?"

Shinobu asked, looking through his report once Katsuragi got back. It was a really short and pointless mission.

"Yeah."

"Hmm... I see."

Well, while it was a farm by the gardening club, Katsuragi noticed a few odd things. One was that it had an irrigation system in place, but where did it draw water from? In addition, why would the gardening club do something like this? A lot of things did not add up. This wasn't the place where some NPC would make, it was originally made and cared for by a human. A human who managed to build this giant structure. Katsuragi managed to find a book that detailed everything about the gardening club and the functions of the garden. Everything was written by one person. A certain Tachibana Kanade. Where did hear that name before? For some reason, Katsuragi decided not to report the book, and kept it for himself.

"Well, this solves part of our food shortage. We never thought of using farming techniques before, thinking that it would not work. But with this we can start to explore new ways to feed ourselves rather than constantly raiding the kitchen for supplies."

Shinobu said, getting up from her chair and grabbing a new drink packet to drink. That was when she noticed that Katsuragi was somewhat deep in thought.

"... Are trying too hard?"

She asked, sitting herself back in her seat.

"Huh?"

"You have a very difficult look on your face. Sometimes the answer just always just under your nose."

Katsuragi was not sure about what she was going on about. He was too busy thinking of what the book was.

"Yukari sent you to me, didn't she? She must have given you some stupid phrase to think about."

Stupid phrase? Ah, there was one.

"She said something about 'when one asks a question, one already knows the answer being sought'... or something like that."

"... I see."

Shinobu leaned back in her chair.

"Yukari is being an idiot, not explaining properly."

"Huh?"

"It isn't meant to be 'when one asks a question', but rather 'when one is able to formulate the correct question'. You see, Katsuragi, humans are tuned to respond different to the same scenario when looking from different angles. It is a psychological reaction. For example, if two cars collide and you came to witness this. You are asked 'at what speed did the two cars hit each other'? What sort of answer would you give?"

Katsuragi did not know how to answer. In the first place, why was that relevant?

"Now let me ask you once more... 'at what speed did the two cars crash into each other'? What sort of answer would you give?"

"Eh?"

Now that Katsuragi thinks about it, the question did made his mind change his answer.

"This is what is meant by the same scenario but different angles. So the meaning behind the statement that Yukari gave you means that the answer is merely dependent on the way you look at it."

The answer is dependent on how he looks at it? Was that what Yukari was trying to say when he was talking about Kou? So Yukari was saying that Katsuragi was merely looking at his own interpretation rather what Kou was actually thinking of. Quite a round-about manner of saying this, wasn't it? So... did this mean that Kou did not see Akira in him? Or was it something else?

"Another meaning behind the phrase is more philosophical. It means that everyone who asks the correct question already knows what they are looking for. If you ask a vague question, you get a vague answer. Ask a specific question, and you will get a specific answer. People who do not know what they want will not be able to ask the question to get it. Understand?"

Not really. But whatever. He did not like how he was being lectured constantly. Speaking of which, he was getting thirsty. Katsuragi wondered if he could a drink packet as well. Who cares if it was vitamin supplements? He needed a drink. Just as he reached for a packet, a pencil flew past his ear, grazing him before embedding itself into the wall.

"Do. not. touch. those."

Shinobu warned with a rather dangerous glare.

"E-erm... then do you have anything to drink?"

"... No. Those drinks are for me only. You wouldn't like the taste anyway. Here, your next assignment. You are to report to my right-hand, Warrant Officer Tsugihara. Now get out of my office."

With that, Katsuragi was kicked out of Shinobu's office. Rather than kicked out, Katsuragi more likely ran out. There was something about Shinobu that told Katsuragi to get out of there ASAP. Shinobu seemed to use stationary as her weapons, as evident when pencils, pens, scissors, staplers, rulers and all sorts of other weird stationary came flying at him. What did he do wrong this time? Katsuragi sighed, thinking that it would be best to keep his mouth shut from here onwards. Too bad he would forget this line of thought within a few minutes. Katsuragi is a talkative guy, though not as bad as say... Ooguchi Daisuke. The mission for this was another raiding mission. Unlike the previous times, this was going to be conducted in the day, which made things extremely dangerous but not impossible. Katsuragi walked over to where he was to meet Warrant Officer Tsugihara. Turns out that Tsugihara was a... girl.

"What made you think I was a guy?"

Tsugihara raised an eyebrow.

"Ah... it's just... considering the type of mission this is."

He explained, making Tsugihara sigh.

"Don't think because I'm a girl that I am unable to do any raiding missions. Besides, it was probably your own fault that ended you being under me, isn't it?"

She asked, making Katsuragi flinch.

"Ah, bulls-eye, huh. So what did you say? Her height? Her lack of a chest? Her consistent problem of running head-first into walls?"

None of that, and what was that last one?

"I wanted a drink."

Katsuragi muttered. At that, everyone in earshot stopped their work and stared at him. Even Tsugihara was shocked.

"Y-you... you did what?"

Tsugihara's voice conveying something more along the lines of horror than shock.

"W-what is it?"

"... You really don't know.. do you?"

Katsuragi shook his head. Tsugihara closed her eyes, before she turned to the rest in the area.

"Get back to work! The mission starts in ten minutes!"

By her word, the others went back to their jobs as she turned back to him.

"I'll tell you this now so you won't make the same stupid mistake twice. Whatever you do, do NOT touch those drink packets."

"Why?"

Tsugihara bit her lip, as though reluctant to say.

"Those packets... they contain blood... human blood."

* * *

"Sengougahara Shinobu is pretty infamous in Guild for a few reasons. One being that her powers are above that of a normal squad leader which led her to be called the 'secret trump card' of Guild. Another is that she is the leader of two squads, which you already know of. The last thing she is famously known for, is the fact that she is more or less a vampire. When Shinobu was still alive, she was born with a certain disease. Similar to Porphyria, but closer to the fictional books of vampires than the disease. No one knows whether it was genetic or whether she had gotten the disease at childbirth. What was known was that Shinobu was slightly sensitive to sunlight, becoming weaker and tired when exposed directly to the sun, and the worst of all was that she needed to drink blood.

Doctors at first believed it to be more psychological, like Renfield's syndrome, but it became more apparent that what Shinobu was something much closer to fiction than anything else. Shinobu's body unable to reproduce certain minerals and her body would reject and be unable to absorb those nutrients from normal food. Only blood worked. Shinobu tried to hide her defect as she grew up but it was hard to grow up with this sort of disorder. Her parents, trying desperately to find a cure, travelled to different countries in order to find an answer, but soon their efforts were in vain as they lost their lives when their plane malfunctioned and crashed. Shinobu was left all alone, shunned by others, distrusted and distanced away from others.

Even her relatives who took her in were at a lost on how to care for her, resulting in them unable to give her the love and comfort she needed. Everyone called her the 'devil's child', or 'vampire'. Shinobu did not wish for that life, she did not want it. It became worse when she went on a school excursion and her bus skidded off the road and down a cliff. Everyone died in that horrific accident. Everyone but Shinobu. Shinobu managed to survive because of her body's condition. She drank the blood of her dead classmates. As much as she hated it, as much as she cursed her own life, as much as she wanted to die... Shinobu could not hide the basic fact... she wanted to live. She drank blood to survive.

When the rescue team finally got to her, she had completely healed over like she wasn't even injured. Because of that, the rumours started to spread even wilder than before and Shinobu could no longer step outside of her own room any more The sad end of her life came when a mob of angry and frightened people attacked her, all believing that she was the centre of evil for everything."

Warrant Officer ended her long story to Katsuragi. She had decided to explain Shinobu's story as they walked down the tunnel towards the exit. The entire team consisted of fifty members of the Raiders, all of whom have more battle experience than the Runners.

"And that is why Shinobu hates being reminded that she had to drink blood every time. She hates her own condition and her own life."

"... Hm? But I thought diseases and such from the previous World would not be possible in this World?"

Katsuragi asked.

"Shinobu's case is slightly different. Hers is something on the genetic level as well as psychological. She may be more resistant to the Sun here, but it still causes her to feel light-headed. She still takes blood packs to replenish her lack of nutrients though it wasn't like that when she first came to this World."

"It wasn't?"

"Of course not. Who would willingly give up their blood for someone to drink just like that? When Shinobu first arrived here she refused to socialize, refused to get out of the tunnels and refused to eat. It took a lot of persuasion on the Boss's part before Shinobu finally relented. After that she slowly opened up and the rest is history. Shinobu has worked the hardest amongst us and has rightfully earned our respect. It would not be wrong to say that she became the leader of two squads because we all wanted her to."

Tsugihara said with a smile. There was something about her story. Something about her tone.

"... How do you know so much?"

Katsuragi asked, and immediately Tsugihara's smile dropped.

"... While everyone knows about the blood drinking, not many know of her past... the reason as to why I would know is because..."

Tsugihara trailed off a little.

"Because?"

"... Because I was one of her classmates in the previous life."

"... What?"

"Yes, I was one of them. I was on that bus that crashed. I was dying slowly but I wasn't dead immediately. I saw what Shinobu truly was and to be honest... I was afraid of her. Her blood-shot eyes, her hunger for blood... but... I also saw how much she tried to resisted. I saw how she cried for each time she had to drink blood. I saw her try to kill herself but fail... She tried to save me, you know... but I knew I was going to die. I entered this World slightly later than her even though I died earlier, and I fought hard to get close to Shinobu... I felt like... I wanted to know her more. For the times I failed to talk to her in the past life, I now protect her and do her work."

Tsugihara said. That was really admirable of her... but was she doing this out of obligation? Or regret? It was like what Yukari and Shinobu had said... when one is able to formulate the correct question, one would have obtained the answer being sought. In a way, Tsugihara was doing it out of both obligation and regret. There was no right, no wrong answer.

"... Anyway, let's focus on our job. Our mission is to raid the kitchen during the day as night raids can only produce so much in a day. Day raids will undoubtedly be able to procure more goods of better quality as the cafeteria would not have used up most of the ingredients. A separate team will raid the different vending machines at the same time, but it is our job as the main group to raid the kitchen supplies. We will exit by tunnel C-3. That should lead us right up to the entrance of the cafeteria. The plan is simple. Group A will take on the role of look out and distraction, group B will break in through the back entrance of the kitchen and take as many supplies as possible. Mission starts in five minutes. Estimated time till completion, half and hour. Chance of enemies appearing, extremely high. Got it?"

Tsugihara turned to everyone in the group and they all nodded.

"Good. Now suit up, we're about to enter a new territory. Katsuragi, you might want to wear this."

Tsugihara passed him a jacket. A winter jacket to be precise.

"Huh? What's this for?"

Katsuragi asked, though he noticed that the other members in the team were all putting on winter clothing as well.

"You'll see."

* * *

And see it, he did. Katsuragi and the team exited the tunnel and stepped out into... a white scene. A blast of chilled air made him shiver as he tried to reorientate where he was. They were outside the cafeteria, the tunnel leading them to a small entrance hidden by the bushes next to the cafeteria's main entrance. But just where was this? This was the same school, was it not?

"It hit us two days ago, a sudden change in weather and everything became snow. While we did see a decrease in Shadow activities, there had been an increase in disciplinary committee members patrolling the school."

Tsugihara explained as she signalled for the rest of the team to follow suit. The team trekked their way through the thick snow and into the cafeteria. They stalked the outside of the cafeteria like some swat team raiding a house.

"Any sign of them?"

She asked the point man. The guy shook his head and gave a thumbs up.

"Alright, let's do this."

The team stormed into the cafeteria and quickly made their way through the building to their allocated areas. Katsuragi was up with Tsugihara at the back with group B. Group B snaked their way through the tables and chairs, reaching the back of the cafeteria where the door to the kitchen was. The supply room was inside the kitchen though its door was right next to the door they were breaking through. The team crouched low, lining up once more as they waited for their point man to pick the lock on the door.

"We're currently the only ones with winter gear in the organization. Guild is still trying to make a production line to produce such clothing but it has been proving difficult with the slow-down of supplies. So if you don't have winter gear, the next best thing is-"

"Food."

Katsuragi said, earning a nod from Tsugihara.

"You're learning fast. Yes, food. Though we may die from cold, we can still revive. Food, however, is a whole other story. We may be slightly demoralized from the cold, but as long as we have hot food, we can continue to fight on."

"Leader, we're in."

The point man said, opening the door slightly.

"Good, let's go."

The team moved in quickly, avoiding the cooks in the kitchen as they sneaked their way into the supply room. Team A, acting as distraction, would be ordering food almost non-stop. Of course, the food they ordered would mostly be placed into boxes to be moved back to the Runner's headquarters Not a single food item would be wasted or discarded. Such was the situation the Organization now faced. A winter war.

"The intelligence division believes that someone must have messed with the Angel Player program to change the weather. We're trying to revert it back but our copy of the Angel Player Program isn't that powerful, thus unable to give us administrative permission to change such things."

Tsugihara continued her explanation as the team began to raid the supply room, stuffing food into bags and passing the bags down a line to the outside of the kitchen like a fire-bucket line.

"So I'm guessing there will be more day time raids."

Katsuragi said, passing a bag down the line.

"... Most likely, yes."

The raid continued on until the last of the bags was passed down the line.

"Right, we're done. Pack up and let's go. Leave nothing behind."

Tsugihara said, and the team nodded.

"Team A, we are pulling out."

Tsugihara called out through her walkie-talkie, but no response came back.

"... Team A, respond."

Still nothing. This was getting serious. The entire team B all looked to Tsugihara with grim expressions. All of them probably knew what this meant. Tsugihara kept her walkie-talkie and pulled out her pistol.

"Team A is not responding. Expect the worst case scenario. We will now execute escape directive Alpha. Priority is to be given to the supplies. Clear?"

Team B all nodded in response to her words, each of them pulling out their weapons. Rifles, shotguns, swords. Escape directive Alpha. To be used in extreme circumstances when facing Type A Angels. It consists of ambush, suppression, diversion and escape. In other words, they would ambush their enemy and lay a suppressive fire on the enemy, creating a diversion to allow any important personnel or supplies to escape before the rest of the team escapes. It was the most basic plan to get out and one that was most commonly used. And also one of the more dangerous. Those that acted as a diversion would undoubtedly be in the life of fire. If the enemy heavily outnumbers them then it would be inevitable that the diversion group would be overwhelmed. Tsugihara peered around a corner.

"... Ten Angels... most likely Type B."

Katsuragi at their own team. Thirty of them in total, of which ten were designated to fight including Tsugihara and Katsuragi, and only the two of them were on par with a Type B Angel. The other twenty were to carry the supplies out of the cafeteria and back down into the tunnels. Mission was changed from raiding to protection and diversion. Not exactly Katsuragi's forte, but he had to do it.

"Ready?"

Tsugihara turned to the others. All nodded back.

"On my mark. Three... two... one. Go!"

The team charged out of their hiding place and opened fire on the Angels. The Angels, caught by surprise, were put on the defensive immediately Katsuragi brought his rifle up to aim and fired it straight at an Angel. The shot connected with the Angel's head, sending her off her feet and down for the count. When the Angel is defeated, a string of numbers appear from its wound and it starts to disappear. One down, nine more to go. But the remaining Angels were now aware of the situation and were beginning their counter-attack.

" "Guard skill: Distortion" "

The Angels chanted in unison as a strange invisible formed in front of them. Bullets that flew at them were all bent around them, flying around the Angels harmlessly.

"Shit, they've gotten their shields up!"

One of the team cursed.

"Ranged members, keep them occupied with their shields! Close quarters unit, move in!"

Tsugihara ordered and the team immediately went ahead with their new orders. Only three were using swords and knives, but they charged in, crouching low as they ran to make themselves harder to hit and be seen. They were like ninjas, zipping in and out of the tables and chairs before they reached the enemy. The enemy's skill, Distortion, could work in deflecting fast travelling bullets since it was made to deflect anything that travelled at a certain speed, but anything below that speed, like a sword swing, would render the skill useless.

It was also known that since a sword and knife had greater mass than a bullet, it could easier break through the barrier. Distortion was like a thin veil of air, merely deflecting bullets by redirecting their trajectory. But no matter how well you can change the trajectory of a bullet, you cannot change the mass of a sword. And that was what happened. The three close quarters Raiders closed into their first target and launched their attack at the same time. Two swords and one knife shot out from under the tables, piercing through the distortion veil and stabbing the Angel.

"I-impossible!"

The Angel cried before he dropped dead. Two down, eight more.

"... Go."

One of the Angels pointed to one of his comrades. The second Angel nodded. Tsugihara then realized what was going on. Only too late.

"Pull Back! That's a Type A Angel-"

"Guard skill: Howling"

The second Angel raised his hands over his head and suddenly a loud screeching sound came bursting through the cafeteria, causing all to cover their ears in pain. It was at this point that the Type A Angel walked over and stood over one of the close quarters Raiders.

"... Guard skill: Hand sonic"

The Angel's hand transformed into a blade and he raised it up, and brought it down on the Raider without pause.

"KYAAA!"

The Raider screamed out as strings of number started to pour out from the wound in her chest. This unpleasant feeling, this dark and cold unnatural feeling was.. She was disappearing.

"KEIKO!"

Tsugihara screamed out, trying to raise her weapon to the Angel but the second Angel's Howling skill made her cringe. The Raider screamed out in pain and anguish as her body disappeared into strings and numbers. It was... too painful to watch. But no one could do a thing as they watched their comrade slowly disappear in front of their eyes, screaming and crying out to them to save her. They could not save her. This was... beyond them. The screams seemed to be far scarier, far louder to them than the Howling was. It was something they all felt within their hearts.

"... No."

He will not stand for this. Though pain may sear through his skull, threatening to break his entire body into pieces, he cannot allow this to go on!

"... Come... on!"

He raised his rifle, trembling from head to toe as his mind was on the verge of collapsing. One shot. All he needed was one shot!

"... Make... it... work!"

He pulled the trigger. The shot went off course. It hit another Angel's distortion field, curving around. But it still hit something. It hit the Type A Angel's Hand sonic. With a crack, the blade snapped, forcing the Type A to stop his attack. Then, the Angel with Howling flinched, seeing as how his leader was injured.

"Now! Tsugihara!"

Katsuragi shouted.

"All hands, attack!"

The group recovered immediately as though they received a second wind and fired at the Angel, killing him. Three down. The team charged forward, forcing the remaining seven Angels to retreat out of the cafeteria. It gave Tsugihara time to get Reiko, the Raider who was attacked. But it was too late. More than half of her body was gone and the damage was getting worse by the second.

"Reiko! Reiko!"

Tsugihara grabbed her friend's hand.

"K-Kaoru..c-chan..."

Reiko called back weakly.

"No... no! Don't go! Don't leave me!"

"Y-you must... t-take care... of... S-Shinobu... c-chan... f-for m-me..."

"No! We promised to do it together! Stay with me!"

"S-Shinob-bu c-chan... n-needs... y-you..."

"Reiko! Don't leave me alone! Fubuki... Momo... Satsuki... didn't the five of us made a vow to protect Shinobu-chan forever? ! Don't break that promise now! Don't make me the only one left!"

Reiko reached out, her hand nearly gone, wiping away Tsugihara's tears.

"D-do it... f-for us... f-for S-Shinobu c-chan... S-She is t-the one... w-who... suffers... m-most..."

"Reiko..."

"P-promise me... Please..."

Tsugihara swallowed hard, clenching her fist in anguish as she could not do anything for her friend. She grabbed her friend's now translucent hand firmly.

"I promise! Shinobu-chan will never be alone! I will protect her and carry her pain for her! That is the promise the five of us made from the beginning!"

Reiko smiled at that.

"...Thank... you..."

Reiko's eyes closed for the last time as her body completely disintegrated into nothing. The cruel fate that awaited them. Nothingness. Tsugihara sat there in silence, her hand still clenched tightly.

"Tsugihara... we've got to move."

Katsuragi said, tapping on her shoulder. He knew that she wanted to be left alone, but this was serious for the rest of them. The Angels were still not beaten.

"... I know."

Tsugihara Kaoru said, getting to her feet and wiping away her tears. She held Reiko's dagger in her left hand as she handled her pistol in her right.

"Let's kill them all. Change mission directive. Genocide protocol. Corporal Katsuragi."

"Yes?"

"Take Tatsuhiko and Kengo to flank right. Suppress them out in the courtyard till I can reach them. Got it?"

Katsuragi knew better than to argue back. Tsugihara was serious. Extremely serious.

"Alright."

Katsuragi took the two others and raced out of the cafeteria back out into the snow. Tsugihara's grip on her knife tightened. Reiko's knife. She will make them pay.

"The rest of you... Follow me into hell."

"Yes ma'am!"

Tsugihara led the rest out of the cafeteria and out into the courtyard. The Angels were being suppressed by Katsuragi and the other two, unable to move as they used distortion. Distortion had two flaws. One being it is unable to stop a blade, the second is if you shoot at it constantly, the user would be unable to move. And because Katsuragi and the other two were using rifles and machine guns, the enemy were firmly rooted with their flanks exposed. With this, Tsugihara had a clear line to their enemy.

She took the opportunity, and charged. The Angels were too pre-occupied and didn't notice Tsugihara until it was too late. Tsugihara dragged her knife upwards, cutting the Angel and causing him to break his Distortion field, which allowed Tsugihara to follow up with three shots to the head and a downward stab with her knife. One more down. Six more to go. But the Type A Angel was able see the attack and immediately he changed the formation.

"Guard skill: Harmonics"

Right before the SSS2 team, the Type A Angel began to multiply.

"T-this is-"

"It's a Spawner ability? !"

Tsugihara was shocked as well by what she was seeing, but she would not give up just because of that. A Type A Angel or whatever it may be, she will kill them. Tsugihara charge, throwing her weight against another Type B Angel and pinning her to the ground. Stabbing the Angel in the forehead before putting two rounds into the chest, Tsugihara looked at and glared at the spawning Type A Angel. By now the Type A had spawned a total of six replicas, resulting in elven Angels in total. One more than when they first started.

"Tsugihara! Retreat! You cannot deal with them on your own!"

Katsuragi shouted out to her.

"Shut up! I will deal with them! Genocide Protocol! All of you, counter-attack!"

Tsugihara shouted. The Raiders all looked slightly unsure, but they charged either way. This was suicide. Genocide protocol was something only the Guardians were known for doing. Yuki forbade the use of this protocol throughout the entire Organization but the Guardians were the only exception as they exist neither within the Organization nor without. The Genocide protocol. The last resort of any SSS2 individual and it was the mantra of the sixth division Guardians. The Genocide Protocol. Kill them all, no matter how, no matter the sacrifices. Kill them all, fight with guns, with swords, with tooth and nail. Kill them all, without fail even if you dying on the field. Kill them all. Kill them now.

"Attack!"

The charge of the Raiders echoed throughout the courtyard. They went without hesitation though full of fear and doubt. This was war. A war that they may not come out from. Katsuragi knew that the SSS2 were made up of people who were angry, fighting to right the wrongs that were placed upon them unjustly. But this... this was madness. These Raiders charged without thinking about themselves. They threw themselves into the flurry without hesitation. Katsuragi wanted to stop this. This wasn't fighting any more This was something beyond the boundaries of human sanity. Were all SSS2 like this? Was this what the SSS2 was all about? Driven into madness by this endless war. Katsuragi wanted to end it. He wanted to end this madness. By any means.

"WARRANT OFFICER TSUGIHARA! PULL BACK THIS INSTANT!"

A voice boomed out, making all in the courtyard pause in their fight. Turning around, they saw someone they did not expect. Sengougahara Shinobu. With her usual helmet with goggles on her head, she wore a large over coat to protect herself from the cold as she drank from another one of her blood packets.

"S-Shinobu-chan?"

"Did you not hear me, Tsugihara. I said RETREAT!"

Shinobu shouted once more, making Tsugihara slightly afraid. What Shinobu did wasn't normal. Her shout was similar... yes, similar to Taeno Yuki's 'Voice of the King', but this was something far sinister. Tsugihara's body obeyed not because Shinobu ordered it, but rather her body obeyed because it felt fear. There was an incredible amount of dangerous power coming from Shinobu's small frame. This was the power of a leader of two Squads. Tsugihara retreated immediately.

"Now then. Since you Angels have been so kind as to treat my... subordinates... kindly... I must return the favour in kind."

Shinobu smirked, showing off her two fanged teeth. Never mind about her being similar to a vampire, she probably is one! Shinobu raised and hand and snapped her fingers. At once, multiple members of the Runners squad appeared, running up with guns and such. But what was most noticeable were the large number of...

"Black boards?"

Katsuragi wondered out loud. And indeed they were black boards, or chalk boards as some call them. Lined up next to each other in three rows, the black boards all faced the Angels with other Runners standing by as guard.

"Ready up!"

Shinobu shouted and each black board were suddenly manned by two Runners each. What were they going to do? Draw something? But then Katsuragi had a sinking feeling about this.

"Ah, yes... what was that skill you Angels used? Howling, was it? Well, let me show you what my 'howling' feels like."

Shinobu snapped her fingers once more and-

_SCREEEEECH_

The Runners all dragged their fingers nails across the chalk boards, creating a horrible screeching sound and instantly sent everyone within ear shot and not wearing any ear protection down for the count. Shinobu walked across the snow covered courtyard, unaffected by the sounds as her ear plugs protected her from the pain, chewing onto the straw with the drink packet dangling freely from it. She stopped before the fallen Angel, who was trying to crawl his way out of the pain. But Shinobu stepped on his hand with a bone-crunching sound when her heavy boot slammed into his hand.

"... You... you did something to one of my friends, didn't you?"

Shinobu asked though the Angel could not reply, still writhing in pain.

"You have caused much pain and suffering to my friends... do not think I will let you off this easily."

"Access. Sub-routine: Creation, item: Pen"

Within Shinobu's hand materialized a simple pen. But with one flick of a wrist, the pen shot down like a bullet, piercing the Angel's hand and pinning him in place.

"AARRHHH!"

"Does it hurt? I'm sure it does... but it does not compare... to the pain you made my friends go through."

"Access: Stationary World"

Shinobu raised her hand up just as thousands of pens, pencils, rulers, scissors, markers, staplers and other ordinary stationary appeared over head.

"Die now. All of you."

Shinobu brought down her hand as the stationary over head rained down like a hail storm, piercing anything that was unlucky enough to be underneath. The hail of stationary did not stop for a whole two minutes and what was left was a mountain of stationary. The bodies of the Angels were no longer in view, then again, could anyone really say they may have survived this? Shinobu walked over to where the Angel's hand protruded from under the pile. She tapped the T-square ruler in her hand on her shoulder, before raising it up high and bringing it down on the hand, destroying it completely. Katsuragi looked on as Shinobu made the stationary mountain disappear, leaving not a trace of anything. Not even the bodies of the Angels were there. Everything was gone.

"... Tsugihara."

Shinobu called out, looking up to the sky as she sucked on her drink packet.

"Y-yes?"

"... You used the Genocide Protocol, didn't you?"

Tsugihara closed her eyes, regretting what she did.

"Y-yes..."

"I see..."

Shinobu walked over to Tsugihara was sitting. Shinobu raised a hand and slapped Tsugihara across the cheek.

"Don't you ever do that. You hear me?"

"... Yes..."

Tsugihara said, head hung low. But then Shinobu reached out and hugged her, surprising Tsugihara.

"Don't do something stupid like that... You're my friend, Kaoru... don't leave me alone..."

"S-Shinobu-chan..."

"You hear me? Don't leave me alone."

Tsugihara felt tears dripping down onto her shoulder. Shinobu was crying. Crying for her. Tsugihara closed her eyes as she hugged Shinobu, tears streaking down her cheeks as well.

"I promise..."

* * *

"... Are you serious?"

Taeno Yuki asked. Kurogane Kou merely looked at Yuki without a word.

"... I cannot accept this. Not one bit."

Yuki said, throwing the papers onto her desk. Kou narrowed her eyes at Yuki, a slight presence of anger flaring up within the sixth division head.

"... You told me I can choose anyone I want."

Kou stated.

"I did say that, but I cannot accept these candidates. Anyone is fine, but not these, especially 'him'."

Yuki pointed to the top piece of paper.

"... I will get him into my division... whether you like it... or not."

At that Yuki stood up and slammed her hands on her desk.

"Dammit Kou! Do not make things difficult!"

"I am not... you're making it difficult yourself."

Kou answered slowly. Yuki scratched her in frustration, never wanting to have an argument with Kou because it never goes anywhere.

"Anyway, I will not allow it! They have only been part of the Organization for less than a year!"

"... They will enter the Guardians."

"No."

Yuki defiantly rejected Kou. But the sixth division remained stoic as usual.

"... My men are already finding them."

She simply said. This meant-

"Kou! Dammit! Don't act without telling me!"

"I... have no obligation... to tell you."

Kou simply replied, turning to go.

"Kou! He isn't Akira!"

Yuki blurted out. She normally wouldn't mention him, but this time she was desperate. Desperate to stop Kou. And Kou did pause at the door.

"..."

"You cannot place Akira upon him!"

Kou turned and glared at Yuki, but the Queen of Fort was more than used to the glares of Kou.

"... I... never said he was..."

Kou simply muttered, leaving the room.

"Kou-... damn that girl!"

Yuki cried out in frustration, dropping back in her chair. Kou was always doing things her own way, but Yuki had allowed it because her actions never contradicted or went against the ideals and goals of the Organization. This was different. Yuki grabbed the piece of paper.

"Kou... do you even know what you're getting into? He's not... what you think he is... Katsuragi... just who are you? And what have you done to Kou?"


	27. Chapter 27

A/N: Ah, I managed to get this chapter out! This will really be the last one before I place this story on haitus. It's been a long year, a trying year... ah, now it all seems to wonderful to look back on. Thank you guys so much for reading and giving me so much support on this long journey.

Everyone seems to be impatiently wanting the SSS to show up. Well... if I go according to my plans, they will arrive for quite some time, but I assure you that their entry into the World will be BADDASS.

There is something I noticed when looking at my stories... What We Live For has now surpassed What We Die For in number of words! Even though the sequel has fewer chapters, the number of words for both stories have exceeded 120,000 words! Discounting the A/Cs, that is still a worthy number to look at. This also shows that this sequel is actually LONGER than the first story despite being made up of fewer chapters. I HAVE COMPLETED ONE OBJECTIVE FOR THIS STORY!

What a long winded story... my friends and families always think that I should publish my stories in books, but I keep telling them that I write fanfiction, not originals. My Originals can never end anyway.

And now onto the last chapter before I go off!

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 27_

_And so it begins_

He still could not get used to it. Staring out of the window back in the Wolves' room, Katsuragi was wondering just what was happening in this World. Snow. He was staring at the snow. Why was it snowing? Why was this happening? It had been two weeks since he came back up to the surface, having helped Yuuko out more than enough. Yuuko had told him that thanks to his efforts, Guild now had the production line for winter clothes going and were distributing them to the various divisions. It was now a common sight to see the SSS2 members wearing winter jackets and overcoats. It was becoming to look like a scene from a winter resort, or some American Mafia movie. Again. What's this, was there suppose to be some Godfather somewhere?

"Iori, I need to talk to you."

A voice called out in the room, making Katsuragi turn. Standing at the entrance way was none other than Taeno Yuki, the Queen of Fort. Ah, the Godfather.

"Hm?"

Yuki seemed to notice Katsuragi looking over, she looked at him before narrowing her eyes.

"What is it, Yuki-sama?"

Iori asked, walking up to Yuki after he had warmed himself up with the portable heater in the middle of the room.

"... Let's talk outside."

Yuki said, heading out of the room. Was there something Katsuragi did? Nah, she was probably looking at someone else. He looked over to the side and saw that Yamato was slump over by the corner, looking half-dead. Just what did she do that made her like that? Still... He walked over to her and prodded her shoulder with his finger.

"Oi... Yamato, are you alive?"

"Uuuughhh..."

She moaned, still looking half dead.

"I'm heading over to cafeteria to grab a bite. Want to follow?"

"Uuuughhh..."

He would take that as a no.

"Sigh, alright then, don't come complaining to me saying I never invited you."

Katsuragi said, getting up to his feet and heading out of the room. Just what did Yamato do? He was sure she was sent to the assault division to get some guy called the 'Otaku' but it seems that Yamato did not accompany him to the Guild. Katsuragi remember seeing the so-called 'Otaku' down in Guild, helping out Shotoku Gen with creating some new weapons. Well, maybe Gen really isn't that great if he needs help. Katsuragi wondered how much longer would he have to go through all of this nonsense. Oh yeah... for all eternity. But eternity will not fix the scars of these people. Eternity will not heal the wounds they have suffered. Eternity... is the cause of these pain. Pain born from time.

"The fine line between Enlightenment and Insanity."

Katsuragi blinked a couple of times. All of a sudden, he was no longer standing in the hallway of Fort. One minute he was walking towards the cafeteria, and the next he was... where? Katsuragi looked around but could only see white. Everything around him was white.

"There is a fine line between Enlightenment and Insanity, do you know the difference?"

That voice. He heard it the moment he suddenly came to this place. He looked around but saw no one. What was this? Was his mind playing tricks on him? Or was it... An Angel? He reached for his gun but found that it wasn't in its holster.

"Looking for this?"

A figure suddenly stood before him waving Katsuragi's gun. Dressed in the SSS2 uniform, the young man seemed to have a strange shadow cast over his face despite there being no light source in this place.

"I can't have you randomly shooting at me. Though I cannot die, I hate the pain."

The man said, expertly twirling the pistol with one hand.

"So, let me ask once more... do you know the difference between Enlightenment and Insanity?"

"..."

Katsuragi was wary to answer this... Angel. What if it was a trap?

"Oi oi, don't give me that look. I only brought you here to ask a simple question. Well, it looks like you won't be answering me anyway."

The young man sighed, snapping his fingers and making a chair appear. He sat on it, making himself comfortable.

"A person is able to gain Enlightenment through many things. Through reading (knowledge), through contemplation (logic), through the trials that they go through (hardships), through the wounds of body, heart, soul and mind (pain and suffering), through obtaining great strength to stand above all (power), and lastly through experiences (time). However, by the same reasons, Insanity can also be reached. A person can go insane through knowing too much (knowledge), through self-realizing the 'truth' (logic), through the events that force them to act (hardships), through the scattered pieces of their hearts and mind (pain and suffering), through the endless cycle of standing over others and wanting more (power) and also through the harsh passage of age (time). Surely you must now realize this. The SSS2 that you are part of is a gathering of people who have gone insane. Driven mad by the same things that led them to the conclusion of their lives."

"... What do you want? Telling me all of this."

Katsuragi was still being wary of this young man. The young man shrugged, tossing Katsuragi back his pistol.

"Maybe it was on a whim. Or maybe... it is because of what you are suppose to do. Rather, it is what you 'want' to do, isn't it?"

"What?"

"Not 'what'. Don't you realize the madness that the SSS2 is facing? You want to change that, don't you? Mister Katsuragi."

Katsuragi immediately brought his gun to aim at the young man. This was an enemy. How did he know his name?

"I have been watching you, Katsuragi, for a very long time. I have watched you grow, watch you become stronger. But it isn't enough. Amongst the different paths to enlightenment, you have taken the path of hardships, as well as the path of logic. But these two paths are not as easy to reach the conclusion as others... Hardships can easily lead to the path of pain and suffering, which in turn easily leads to insanity if the person is unable to handle it. Logic can reach the conclusion of Enlightenment and Insanity as quickly as the person wants... but only if the person is able to."

"What is all of this talk for?"

The young man crossed his legs, tapping his head as though disappointed at something. Probably at Katsuragi.

"... What do you think this World is? A place for young souls to come to resolve their regrets is probably the most common answer. Yes, it is a place to resolve regrets, but... they do not know how. People who come to this World all have suffered great injustice in their lives. They come here, wanting to change that, wanting to prove that the pain they suffered will go avenged. But they cannot do that. Who are they fighting against? What are they fighting for? Are they fighting to correct their past? A fight for survival? Don't make me laugh. The leaders of the Organization know it themselves better than anyone. They fight not for survival... but for their sins. For greed, for violence, for envy, for lust, for pride... Did you really think that you could change the past? The change can never be changed!"

The young man shouted, banging his feet on the floor. If that was a floor.

"Time is a constant, never changing, never stopping. In a way, Time is God. It creates, it destroys. With Time, things can move, can live. But because Time is constant, it can never go back. It can never return to a previous point. Time forces us to learn, to adapt, to change. It also forces us to accept the past, but this World is a place that exist outside of Time. Existing outside the grasp of time and yet... still affected by it. This is a place that was never meant to exist. It cannot exist. There are only two things you can do in this World... leave, or be trapped forever. That is what brings me back to the first question. Leaving this place is equal to understanding what it is you came here for. What you lacked in life, what you must accomplish. You cannot go back to the past, so what can you do? Simple... look forward. Change not what happened in the past, but change what will happen in the future. That understanding is the key to leaving this place."

Katsuragi realized what the young man was saying. He was giving him a hint on how to get rid of this madness of the SSS2.

"But one man cannot change the minds of the many. Actions always speak louder than words. You will understand that one day. For now, I have give you the 'key' (weapon). All you need to do is to now where the 'lock' is."

The young man suddenly started to disappear from Katsuragi's sights. The room seemed to be disintegrating as well.

"Wait- I don't understand-"

"You do. If you have walked the path of logic... then you should know. The seven leaders... the seven sins. You must be the one to release them from the prisons. They have walked too far down the path of Insanity. Find their paths, correct their wrongs and perhaps... you would be able to save the Organization."

"But-"

"Oh, and one more thing... Take care of Kurogane Kou. It is 'that guy's' wish."

"Wait-"

In a blink of an eye, Katsuragi found himself back in the hallways of Fort. He looked around and saw that no one even seemed to notice what had happened. It was like everything occurred only within his mind. It was like a dream... but was it? Insanity... and Enlightenment. The path of logic? What did that all mean? That Angel told him that he had the ability to cast off this madness that the SSS2 were suffering. But how could someone like him do it? Someone who only came into the organization less than a year ago was going to change every single person in it? There were over a hundred thousand members! In addition, the number of years everyone had over him was too much! If he ever had to convince the leaders, the most wizened and the most power members of the Organization, he would need an incredible rank. Some place where no one would care of his rank, where everyone would listen to him regardless of division or rank. But just what division could have that amount privilege? And what sort of position would allow that?

"Are you Corporal Katsuragi from Fort's Wolves squad?"

A voice called out to him, making Katsuragi turn. Standing before him were two familiar faces. In the first place, he has been bumping into these two very often these few days.

"Takamachi Yukari-san and... Amatsu Len-san."

"Osu! It certainly is me!"

Yukari laughed out loudly while Amatsu was still glaring at Katsuragi. As expected, she was still angry at Katsuragi.

"Why did you call me by my full name? I don't remember giving you permission to even talk to me."

Len glared at Katsuragi even harder than before. Those glares were getting extremely painful.

"Now now, don't be such a sore loser, Len."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A SORE LOSER? !"

Len snapped at Yukari.

"What, aren't you one? Kou told us to pass him a black band, so that's what we came here to do. You're angry because Kou seems to favour him a lot more these days compared to the mere glances and paper she passes to you."

"Captain deserves more than this piece of refuse!"

Ouch, that hurts.

"Come on, he isn't that bad."

"He is worse than an insect! Lower than dirt!"

Lower than dirt? What on Earth is lower than dirt?

"Well, putting that aside, how about it, Katsuragi, want to join the Guardians?"

Yukari turned to Katsuragi. The Guardians? The elite fighting force of the Organization? But... why him? Yukari seemed to have read his mind, her smile broadening.

"You're wondering why can you enter the elite division, aren't you? Well, you have proven yourself well during your last few requests and Operations. Your progress is rather astounding to be honest, and no one in the division has any qualms about you entering-"

"I DO!"

Len shouted but Yukari ignored her.

"So? How about it? You get a lot of privileges with being a Guardian. Stuff like divisions do not matter. You can borrow anyone and anything from any division any time you want. You get your own personalized weapon, you can also get access to the Angel Program's more advance skills."

The Guardians. Katsuragi didn't really need power though. Besides, Len looked extremely pissed and who knows what she would do if he accepted it. But wait a minute, a Guardian has something important. Something that he needed. Authority. The Angel told him that he was walking along the path of Logic and Hardships. By taking down the path of Power, would he be able to convince the division leaders?

"Hmm, you look interested. Then let me convince you even more! Join now and get a special offer of Kou's sexy nude photos!"

Right right... what? ! Yukari suddenly produced a group of photos which showed Kou coming out of the baths of in a changing room.

"Yukari! Just where did you get those? !"

Len demanded.

"You're room, of course."

"Wha- Who gave you permission to look through my stuff? !"

So... Len was a pervert?

"Hey hey, you bought these off Iris, didn't you? You can't lie to me, Iris told me everything I wanted to know."

"Grr... That damn photo-crazy girl... wait till I get my hands on her neck."

"Well, going back to you, Katsuragi. So how about it? Not enough? Then how about a special package? Join now and you get to monopolize Kou for a week!"

"Wha-? !"

What on Earth was Yukari saying?

"Yukari! I never about this! And since when did the captain allow this? !"

Len shouted at Yukari.

"I never told you about it and I never told you about the photos either. Also, Kou doesn't know this deal. I'm just offering it as I please."

"Why you-"

"Right right, why don't you take another nap?"

Yukari sighed before she grabbed Len's arm, twisting it and flipping Len onto the floor, holding her neck in an arm lock.

"Y-Yukari!"

"Just sleep for now."

SNAP

Len was down for the count. Again. Yukari got back up, dusting her hands like it was nothing. She just killed her comrade for a second time! And she treated it like it was cleaning out the trash? !

"So, how about it? You get to make Kou do anything you want. Dress up like a maid and serve you, wear some miko clothes, wear a bunny suit, or maybe... how about waiting for you on a bed wearing nothing but a wet oversized t-shirt dripping with condensed milk?"

Somehow, Katsuragi's imagination was starting to look more and more like an adult gravure magazine. Why was it so specific? AND WHAT WAS THAT CONDENSED MILK ALL ABOUT? ! IT'S MAKING HARDER FOR KATSURAGI TO CONCENTRATE! This was getting all wrong. All wrong. Yukari smirked, leaning back while enjoying how Katsuragi was having a dilema with his own imagination and conscience.

"Well, putting that aside, our leader does have an interest in you. So, have you found an answer to your homework?"

Yukari asked, changing the topic. Katsuragi blinked a few times, realizing what she was talking about. At that, he nodded.

"Yes, my view is only one of many. The way I presume things to be would only result in the outcome being such as I believed it to be."

At that, Yukari smiled and nodded.

"Exactly. Though you probably got Shinobu-chan to tell you that. Still, good job. So here is your reward."

Yukari took out a long black cloth and handed it to Katsuragi.

"... What is this for?"

He asked.

"That? That is simply a black cloth."

Yukari answered with a smile.

"A black cloth?"

Yukari closed her eyes for the moment, before opening them with renewed vigour. But Katsuragi also sensed that she held much pain in those eyes.

"Yes... the black cloth. It symbolizes the Guardians and of our resolve. Our souls are black, as are our hearts. We are the Shadow, the darkness that claims the other side of Light. We do not rest, we do not forgive. We only kill. We are the sixth division of the SSS2, we are the Guardians. Our motto is clear. We will kill them all."

Yukari showed her black cloth tied around her neck.

"You are now part of us. Through death, through battles. We will cleave a path of carnage through our enemies. There is no tomorrow for us, no yesterday, no today. There is only you... and the enemy. As one of the squad leaders of the Guardians, I welcome you, corporal Katsuragi, to the Guardians."

* * *

"The gears of fate are turning."

"A cliché line if I ever heard one."

"... Ahem, moving on."

"You just ignored me, didn't you?"

"... I did not. Anyway, why did you go and meet up with that guy?"

"Hm? Oh, you mean him... I do not see anything wrong with it. Besides, it looked as though he was being conflicted over something."

"The plan could have been foiled because of your meddling."

"Don't worry about it. Nothing has changed. In fact, I may have just given it a little nudge forward."

"Your nudges tend to be explosions... sigh, do you really understand what you just did? You could have jeopardized the entire plan by exposing yourself to him!"

"I haven't done that much. Made sure to cover my face well."

"That's not the point!"

"Ha ha, you're simply too uptight. Got to learn to loosen up. Look at it this way, if I didn't show him the way, he would be floundering about aimlessly for another year or so, right? Do you really think that we have that much time?"

"... No. We don't have much time."

"Exactly. Those on the 'outside' are trying to get in, the movements of the SSS2 are getting more erratic with each passing day, the insanity and darkness within this World grows by the second. We're going to have to push our plans forward ahead of schedule."

"How are things with our insider?"

"He's fine. Though the SSS2 suspects him, he is still able to move about quite well. Have to wonder about his dual personality though."

"Afraid that his mellow side will betray us?"

"... No, it's fine. He will not betray us."

"Alright... what about those 'outsiders'? Will they a problem to our plans?"

"No, they will not be. Their objective is not the same as ours. Do not worry. Everything is going to plan."

"... If you say so... Student president Otonashi."

* * *

A/N: And that ends it! How do you guys like it? Suspense! CLIFFHANGER! I'd be trollin' you guys. Just kidding. If it's any consolation, I will not be able to touch a computer for about two weeks, and after that I get to go out of camp on the weekends. Still, just having one day to write and edit chapters wouldn't be enough so two months is probably the minimum you guys will have to wait. Well then, this will be it! Have fun while I'm gone! For my sake as well! For those still studying, study hard! Three rules of life, Work Hard! Play Hard! Live Hard! You guys rule! See you guys later!


	28. Chapter 28

A/N: It's been so long! But the two months are finally over! This is not the end of my military life though, since it is two years in total. There will be times when i will be away from my computer for an extended amount of time but i'll tell you guys in advance.

So i see that the cliffhanger was 'well-received' by you guys. And it is also interesting to see that there is an increase of fics that are also writing about the SSS2, in their own variations of course. I've been out of the game for so long so let's see if i still got it. Let the good times roll!

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 28_

_The dark ones_

He had no idea why he was given the black cloth, nor did he have any idea why Yamato was so angry at him for getting it.

"How could you- You insensitive bastard!"

Was all she said before punching him in the face and storming off. Really, what was that all about? And why did she look so tired, battered and bruised? Did she pick a fight with a bear or something?

"Well, I heard from Yuki-sama, but to really see it."

Iori muttered when Katsuragi approached the Wolf leader to inform him of the news Katsuragi was told to inform his squad leader of the change and so that was what he did after he received his black cloth. Obviously everyone was having mixed feelings about this. A mere corporal suddenly joining the most elite division. It was like seeing an overnight celebrity suddenly making it go big.

"So you're going to be reporting directly to Kurogane Kou. She never really stays in one place, though her favourite spots would be Guild's Big Site, the empty third floor classrooms of complex A and Yuki's room."

Strange... Katsuragi bumped into Kou at every single one of those spots. Maybe not Yuki's room.

"Things are going to get tough from now onwards, but if Kurogane chose you, then you should be alright. Go now and don't forget that though your division is different and you answer to a new leader, that you are still a member of the SSS2 and was once a Wolf."

Iori told him before Katsuragi was sent off in search of Kou to report to her. According to Iori, Katsuragi is actually the third Wolf to be chosen to enter the Guardians. The first was Kurogane Kou herself. The reason behind the lack of Wolves in the Guardians was due to Yuki's influence. She would try to get the best soldiers into the Wolves who were under her direct supervision and since Kou was always avoiding a long confrontation with Yuki, she avoided recruiting from the Wolves. It wasn't so much as Kou was afraid of Yuki, but more along the lines of Kou being wary of Yuki's strong personality coupled with her wide influence. Katsuragi stepped out of the Wolves room and saw that Takamachi Yukari was standing there waiting for him. This time it wasn't Amatsu Len with her, but rather a gloomy looking person with a large cloak wrapped around her. That person looked familiar.

"Hey Katsuragi. The leader told us to fetch you since you probably wouldn't know where we normally meet up. This here is Shion. Asakura Shion. She's the Guardian's only sniper."

Yukari introduced the gloomy looking person, who bowed slightly at him.

"She's a little on the shy side so you'll have to forgive her."

A shy sniper? Somehow that sort of... fits, but doesn't fit at the same time. In the first place, why was she covering her right eye with her long bangs? Was that some sort of new emo-goth style? But was she the only sniper in the Guardians? If she was, she must have some serious skill sets to be chosen.

"Oho? What's this, Katsuragi-kun? You're interested in Shion as well?"

Yukari smirked in a similar fashion to how an old lady would gossip about the latest scandal in the neighbourhood.

"N-no! That's not it!"

Katsuragi blurted back.

"Ah, right. The only one on your mind is Kou. Good! How admirable of you to stay true to your heart!"

Yukari laughed out loudly. Staying true to his heart? What was that about?

"Right right, well let's get going. Kou doesn't like to be kept waiting."

Yukari said, turning around to lead the way. The three left the Fort building and headed straight towards the main school complex. Yukari and Shion both walked without a care for any NPCs or SSS2 members who stared at them walk by. It was quite obvious why these two would attract so much attention. Shion was dressed with an overly large cloak over herself while carrying a large anti-tank rifle on her back and while Yukari wasn't tall, she had the presence of something who was as well as her carrying her overly large cleaver of a weapon really made her stand out. There were two more things that made them stand out from all others. One was the black cloth that they wore. It marked their standing as Guardians. The other thing that made people stop and stare... was the sheer presence or aura that these two were emitting.

It was like how a grand King would garner the attention of everyone the moment he stepped into the hall. You may not see him, but you sure know he's there. A strange prickly sensation at the back of his neck plus the goosebumps that were crawling all over his skin were tell-tale signs of the sheer power that these two gave off. Katsuragi was not trained to sense such power but even he could tell just how dangerous these two were. Guardians. Was he really fit to be one of them? Was he really chosen because of some skill he held that he could not see? Or was he chosen simply on a whim (yes, it was on a whim)? The guardians walked into the school complex C. Wasn't Kou more frequent in Complex A?

"We've moved temporarily to complex C due to a mission. Don't worry, you won't be participating in any missions as of yet until you receive your own specialized weapon from Yuuko."

Yukari explained to the Katsuragi as they walked through the building. There were more NPCs within complex C than complex A due to the presence of the discipline committee. Complex A was where the staff rooms were located so there were mainly teachers there. Considering how the teachers do not really bother with the SSS2, complex A was more or less under the control of the Organization. Complex B was under the direct supervision of the student council and Complex C was under the watch of the disciplinary committee so they were had the least number of SSS2 members within them. Complex D, E and F were mainly classrooms that were constantly being contested by between the SSS2 and the NPCs.

Those three buildings were the ones that had seen the highest number of conflicts and fights, as well as being the hot spot for Shadows to appear within. Complex G and H were both used for Clubs and were the favourite spots for the Diversion division to set up shop. Going back to where Katsuragi and the others were, Complex C was tightly controlled by the disciplinary committee and Katsuragi could already see that the NPCs were beginning to make their move. Just as they reached the stairwell, the three of them found themselves surrounded by members of the disciplinary committee.

_[Encounter: Ten Disciplinary members appeared]_

An encounter so soon? ! But while Katsuragi was fretting internally, Yukari and Shion were perfectly calm. In fact, Yukari was smiling.

"Takamachi Yukari and Asakura Shion. Where do you think you're going?"

The apparent leader of the disciplinary members demanded.

"What is it to you?"

Yukari asked back, crossing her arms.

"I have a right to know. Besides, the two of you are wanted by the disciplinary committee."

"I do not remember being 'wanted' by you. If anything we were supposed to be 'watched'. Besides, even someone like you should know not to stop me."

Yukari's smirk was beginning to border down-right scary.

_[Disciplinary members are frightened]_

"I'm sure that you do not wish to cause a scene here, do you?"

Yukari's hand reached for her weapon as she said that.

"... Y-you would not dare to use that on us."

"Just try me."

Yukari's threat was something that was hard to determine if it was joke... or if it was for real.

"Y-you can't just threaten a disciplinary officer like that!"

The NPC was clearly frightened. Putting up a weak bravado like that only make him look extremely pathetic.

"Well... I wouldn't normally. But you should know who my leader is, don't you? I'm not sure about you, but I am not one who would like to make her angry."

Yukari placed her last card, which proved to be too much for the disciplinary member.

"Geh... tch, fine. But just you wait... we'll be watching you."

With that, the disciplinary members dispersed. Was the name of Kurogane Kou really that frightening? Looking back on his memories, Katsuragi decided that yes... Even if it was just her name, Kurogane Kou was still a scary person.

"Come on, let's go."

Yukari said, making Katsuragi follow behind. The trio made their way up the stairs to the third floor. It was here that Katsuragi realized that he was in the heart of the Guardian's territory. Standing across the corridor were all SSS2 members, silently tending to their own weapons and preparing for some large operation. The Guardians, the ghosts of the organization, the reapers of the sixth division, the elite force of the SSS2. Each holding as much power as a high level Angel. The first and last line of defence against the Angels. They were the only hope for the organization to survive. A gloomy group of people. Really. This corridor held as much depressive atmosphere as a funeral.

"In here."

Yukari pointed to a door that had the plaque 'Chemistry lab 3' above the door. Yukari knocked on the door twice before opening the door and stepping through. Shion followed in next and Katsuragi was the last to step through. Stepping into the room, Katsuragi came into a scene that was straight out of an epic movie. Standing around the room were the more important people of the Guardians. The silent swords woman, Sakamoto Shiki; the fierce second in command, Amatsu Len; the young strategist, Minami Shino; walking over to her chosen spot, the steel arm, Takamachi Yukari; the sharp sniper, Asakura Shion; and lastly, sitting on the chair like the King of these great fighters, the reaper and leader of the Guardians, Kurogane Kou. Katsuragi felt like he had just walked straight into a den of lions. Wait, skip lions. This was a den of demon Gods. Each and every one of these scary individuals was powerful in their own right, each standing at the top of their field. Standing under the blood soaked banner of violence, they are wrath incarnate. Or at least they were suppose to.

"... Oi, Shino, we're having a very important meeting."

Amatsu Len snapped at the young strategist who was cramming her mouth with sweets.

"Eh? But it's my snack time!"

Minami Shino said back with sweets flying out of her mouth. Really, that is bad manners.

"Who cares about your snack time! And what the hell are you eating? !"

"Dango, want some?"

"No!"

Katsuragi was wondering if this was truly the same room for the Guardians.

"Ya, ha ha ha. Things are as lively as always! That's good!"

Yukari laughed in a carefree manner. Please, this is no time to be laughing! Those two look to be on the verge of having an all out nuclear war at the moment! Stop laughing and stop them already!

"It's impossible to stop them at this stage."

Sakamoto Shiki said, crossing her arms and leaning against the wall. So you say it is impossible to stop them... at least try!

"..."

Shion merely kept quiet, watching the scene unfold. Don't watch! Do something! It was at this point where Kou suddenly tapped her scythe on the ground. It was a light tap, barely audible yet it made every single person in the room quiet down and turn to her. Such was the power that Kou wielded. Even the ever joking Yukari wasn't smiling at this point.

"... Enough."

Kou muttered, getting up from her chair.

"... We move... now."

Kou said, and the leaders all nodded their heads in unison without a word. But there was a problem. A rather obvious problem. Katsuragi.

"Kou, what should we do with the new guy? You wanted to see him, didn't you?"

Yukari asked, stepping forward. Kou looked to Katsuragi with her usual emotionless eyes.

"... I've seen him... that should be enough..."

That's it? !

"That's not really it, Kou. He hasn't gotten his own weapon so he cannot participate in our missions despite being a Guardian. The other new member is the same as well."

Kou turned to Yukari after the latter said the obvious. Other new member? What other new member?

"... Okay... Shino... Take charge... of new members."

"Eeeeh?"

The small strategist made a rather annoying sound.

"Don't 'eeeeeh' when the captain gives you a direct order!"

Len snapped at Shino.

"... I'll... give you... sweets."

Kou said, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a fistful of wrapped candies. At the mere sight of that Shino's eyes lit up like light bulbs with excitement.

"Can I really have them? Can I? Can I?"

What is she, a kid? Well, she does look like one... But still.

"Have... all."

Kou said, pouring the sweets into Shino's waiting hands.

"Yay! I love Kou so much! Okay new guy! Let's go!"

With that, Shino dashed straight out of the room without even waiting for Katsuragi to follow. Katsuragi turned to the others in the room but they were simply preparing for their next mission. With no other choice, Katsuragi left the room.

* * *

A personalized weapon. Katsuragi did not have any idea what it was exactly but he had seen a number of people carrying odd weapons around. Weapons with strange and special abilities. According to Iori, such weapons would be granted to warrant officers and above, and even then they needed to pass some sort of test. A test that Iori recommended them not to take. Something about 'horrors' and 'demonic eggs'. All in all, it was something that made even the leader of the Elite Wolves frightened. It certainly had to be something. But apparently it was a requirement for all Guardians to have their own personalized weapon. Why? Was it because it offered them more power than normal weapons? Allowing them to combat Angels on a daily basis without pause? Or was there another reason? He managed to find Shino who was waiting for him by the door of another classroom.

"Ah, there you are. Let me get the other new comer and we can be on our way."

Shino said, turning to the door and opening in to pop her head inside.

"Are you ready to go? Good. The other new member has arrived so we will head straight down to Guild for your orientation."

Shino spoke to whoever was inside. Soon, the door slid open and Shino stepped back as another person walked out of the classroom. With long flowing hair and her sharp eyes, the girl looked over to Katsuragi and-

"Oh."

"Oh."

The two said to one another at the same time. Oh indeed. Katsuragi knew this person.

"... Saya?"

Katsuragi wasn't sure if he was seeing things correctly. Saya, one of the better fighters from his batch from recruitment days, was standing before him. She had changed quite a bit from when he last saw her. She used to have an energetic self, charging straight into things without much thought. Now... she seemed quite mellowed. She wore a broach on her collar that signified her attachment to the Assault division's elite fighting force, the shock troops 'Edge'.

"Katsuragi-san... You're joining the Guardians too?"

Saya asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Y-yeah... I guess so."

Saya seemed to stare at Katsuragi with a sceptical look on her. Not that he could blame her though it was rather rude in the first place. Katsuragi had no idea why he was inside the Guardians too, and apparently no one else knows the reasons besides the leaders of the Guardians.

"... I guess anything can happen in this World."

Saya muttered. Ouch, that was really a harsh comment.

"Alright, let's go."

Shino said, leading the way down the hallway. They were meant to head to Guild so Katsuragi guessed that there should be a hidden entrance way somewhere in this building.

"Since the two of you are new, I will explain a few things to you. Let's start to what the Guardians do."

Shino started as they walked down the stairs of the building complex.

"The Guardians are mainly the elite fighting force of the Organization. We put our souls on the line to fight the Angels, an enemy that only appeared five years ago. It was also about that time when the organization started to delve deeply into using the Angel Program as a way to end this war as well as powering ourselves up. The truth may be that the more we use the program, the worse our situation becomes, but that still does not change the fact that we need it in order to survive. One might call it an endless cycle.

Going back to our mission. Guardians are deployed to counter any Angels of any level, as well as any Shadow deemed too dangerous for the other divisions to handle. By now the two of you must have noticed that we Guardians are not called upon often. Each division has their own pride and vindication to fight the Shadows and Angels. This results in mass casualties on our side and it is often up to us to act before the situation gets to a critical state. As Guardians, we also deal with traitors and the occasional unrest within the organization."

"Unrest?"

Katsuragi wondered about that part.

"An organization with a size like ours are bound to have fragmentations and dividing beliefs. There are a large number of groups within our own ranks that plan to spread dissent against the leaders or even against our very own survival. Every now and then there will be attempts to overthrow the leaders or maybe just a riot. Luckily the name of our leader alone is sufficient to quell most of these uprisings."

And it certainly should. Even Katsuragi would get goosebumps hearing her name.

"Senpai, how did the Guardians form?"

Saya asked, though Katsuragi felt as though there was another reason behind that question.

"We were formed right after the Battle of Big Site. Since there was an emergence of a new enemy, the leader of Fort, Taeno Yuki, decided that there had to be a division that devoted itself fully to the art of destroying Angels, even at the risk of their own souls."

Shino replied briefly. A little too briefly.

"... I want to know why a person like Kurogane Kou was chosen to lead."

Saya said, which caused Shino to stop in her tracks. The small strategist turned her head and eyed Saya. As Katsuragi expected, Saya was trying to probe for more answers, trying to uncover some dark past. But for whatever reason Katsuragi did not know. What he did know was that Shino was already onto Saya and had skilfully evaded answering the question thus far.

"... For what purpose do you wish to know such a thing?"

Shino asked.

"... I need to know what kind of person would my leader be."

Saya replied flatly. Did something to her within the Assault division? Saya never questioned such things before. Katsuragi did hear a rumour about the leader of Edge being somewhat unorthodox and eccentric... but what did that have to do with Saya? Shino eyed Saya a little while longer before sighing.

"Kurogane Kou is a strong person. She sacrificed the most and has lost the most. She is the one to lead the Guardians because she is the only one who has the potential and capabilities to defeat an EX level Angel. Does that answer your question?"

That was clearly not a straight answer, but Saya knew not to press any further. Though Shino may look and act like a child, she was still one of the higher ranking members of the Guardians. That meant she had skill. A lot of skill.

"... No. No further questions."

Saya finally replied after a lengthy pause.

"Good. Now follow me."

Shino led the two down to the first floor and headed towards the toilet. In between the men and women bathroom was the large red box against the wall that held the fire hose. Shino walked over to the red box and pushed down the hinges. A clicking sound came from within the walls as the box swung open, revealing a secret passage.

"Well now, let's enter."

Shino led the way inside the tunnel, which cut downwards into a hole after awhile. Soon, Katsuragi found that they were back down in Guild, though it was a rather secluded tunnel that they were currently in.

"This is Tunnel D8, usually no one uses this tunnel since it connects directly to the disciplinary committee's home base. Come on. We need to get to Guild before Yuuko runs off."

Shino said as she headed off into a slight jog.

"Yuuko?"

"To get your own personalized weapons, you must first meet Musashi. He will be the one who create your weapons, but it is Yuuko who is needed in order to get a full sketch down. While Musashi is able to 'see' what sort of weapon you should have, he cannot create it without instructions or a blueprint, which is where Yuuko comes in. She also needs to give permission as well as supply the amount of black and white essences used in the construction process. Only Yuuko is able to withstand the amount of power which both essences would give off during the construction period."

Shino explained.

"So she's like the only person to die during the making of our weapons?"

"More or less."

Shino casually replied. Wasn't that being a little too casual for this sort of subject matter?

"Well, you'll see it when we get there."

Shino said. Katsuragi was having a really bad feeling about what he was going to see next. And what he did see was something that did not disappoint. The moment they stepped into Guild, a large explosion occurred right in front of them. Once again, it was the experimenter's room. Just when it was rebuilt, someone had to blow it up again. Staggering out of the smoke-filled room, Yuuko coughed and gagged in an attempt to clear her lungs of soot. After she cleared her throat a little, she looked up and noticed Shino and the two new recruits of the Guardians.

"Ah, Shino-chan, you're here! Good good."

Yuuko smiled, walking over whilst dusting her overalls. Not that it did any good since her overalls were already stained black beyond anything a demon level of washing can fix.

"So, these two are here for their weapons, right? Hm?... aren't you that Wolf guy? What are you doing with the Guardians?"

Yuuko asked, clearly confused.

"He's a certified black band. Our leader chose him."

Shino answered that as she sat on a crate whilst munching on her sweets.

"Hmm... what an interesting turn of events this is."

Yuuko said as she grabbed some sweets out from Shino's bag without asking and shoving the sweets into her own mouth.

"Yuuko! My sweets!"

"Hmfmdmng"

Yuuko muffled back with her mouth filled with sweets. She wasn't really saying something comprehensible by the way so it does not matter if it remains as it is without translations. The last thing that Katsuragi thought that was necessary was for a translation for what Yuuko was saying. Anything she says isn't really worth any translation anyway.

"Anyway,"

Yuuko continued after she swallowed her mouth full of sweets.

"We'll go find Musashi now. He should be over by the furnace. He's always there."

Yuuko led the way towards the over end of Guild where there was a giant furnace going strong. Littered around the furnace were anvils, coal bags and other things that would not look weird or out of place at a blacksmith's workshop. But this wasn't a real blacksmith's workshop, but rather it was Guild. So it was like seeing a really authentic ancient blacksmith in a car-manufacturing type of shop. Totally out of place. Sitting on a small stool was a half naked man pounding away on the anvil with his hammer.

"Musashi-chii, these are the ones I talked to you about."

Yuuko called out to the working blacksmith. The young man turned around, revealing a rather impressive-

"... Hige..."

Katsuragi could not help but note the beard. Yes, it was a really impressive beard. It did not matter if you were a man or woman, you would still find it to be a very impressive beard. If one had to say, it was like looking at a very well groomed piece of hair.

"Hmm, that young man has taste."

The bearded Musashi said, stroking his own beard with pride.

"Whatever. Just make their weapons, will you?"

Yuuko grumbled, obviously not a fan of the beard.

"Sure, sure."

Musashi replied, putting down his hammer and turning to face the two new recruits. But that was all he did. Stare. With a blank expression, it made Katsuragi think that this Musashi fellow had crashed and was just zoning out. For one, he is zoning out.

_[Musashi is zoning out]_

Second, he had not crashed.

_[Musashi is still alive]_

That was when Katsuragi realized that Musashi was actually studying the two recruits. His stare was long and hard, making Katsuragi feel slightly unnerved and uncomfortable.

_[Musashi is still staring]_

That glare is really painful

_[Katsuragi is feeling nervous]_

_[Katsuragi is suffering a mental breakdown]_

_[Katsuragi suffers 10 dmg]_

_[Katsuragi suffers 10 dmg]_

_[Katsuragi suffers 10 dmg]_

_[Katsuragi suffers 10-_

"Okay, I more or less have it."

Musashi said all of a sudden.

_[Katsuragi suffers 10 dmg]_

He already stopped staring so why is there still damage? !

"But I have to wonder... You..."

Musashi pointed at Katsuragi.

"Huh? Me?"

"Yes... you... Aren't you Kurogane Kou?"


	29. Chapter 29

A/N: AHH! It's been so long! Sorry sorry! REALLY SORRY! I wanted to get this chapter out sooner but events at work spiraled out of control and it took a while for the chaos to die down... Let's just say i experienced three lifetimes worth of events.

I realized that it has already been two months since my last post... really... sorry for that. I hope none of my readers went off to commit suicide or anything... That would be really depressing for me. No, killing yourself will not make this story go any faster, nor will it allow you to enter the Afterlife and join the SSS. Remember kids, killing yourself is stupid.

It is good to have Niker back, not to mention having all the new readers enjoying my work. As for my loyal readers, reading your comments kept me going despite my turbulent life troubles. Thanks!

I have begun writing new stories but this will still be considered my main story. Because of this, chapters will be slowed down for this story. Once i'm done with those stories this one will go full throttle once more!

On a more depressing note, I am sad to announce that i have decided to get this story into it's final arc. After thinking about it all this while, as well as discussing with my sister/editor about this, i have come to the conclusion that stretching this story any further would do more damage to the plot than it would benefit it. I will be putting all other story ideas into my side stories for this, so wait for it. The side stories will only be published after this story has ended. I hope all of you understand and accept my decision as it was hard on me to make this decision.

For now, read and enjoy my latest chapter! Don't forget to review!

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Chapter 29_

_Trials by Fire and Darkness_

What Musashi said to Katsuragi did not make sense. Was he Kurogane Kou? Obviously not. Kurogane Kou was a girl. There was no way he could be the leader of the Guardians and besides, Kurogane Kou was a different person who occupied a separate space in time. Well, what was time in here anyway?

"Well, it doesn't matter. You have slight differences... though very similar."

Musashi said as he turned back to the furnace.

"Come back in two days. I'll have your weapons ready by then. Boss, until then-"

"I know, I know. You don't want anyone to talk to you. Well, there you have it, come back in two days and we'll have it all ready and sparkling for you."

With that, Shino led the two new recruits out of Guild and down a tunnel. But it was not the same tunnel as the one they took on the way in. It was a completely different tunnel.

"The Guardians are going to have a DiRe Operation soon and since the two of you are still new, not only to the Guardians but also to the entire Organization itself, the two of you will have to go through a crash course in order to power-up yourselves in the shortest possible time. We do not know why our leader chose the two of you but whatever is given to us we will take it on."

Shino explained as she led the way.

"We're going to see an expert in the assault division who specializes in training. He works with us Guardians regularly to help us out with training sessions and he would be the best person outside of the Guardians to go to if you want to gauge the strength of a Guardian."

Shino led the way into a separate tunnel and went up the ladder, pushing open the grate that covered the entrance. The three exited the tunnel and Katsuragi found themselves to be out in the middle of a familiar place. The Assault division's training grounds, though it was covered in snow this time. While it was not weird for it to be the Assault training ground, given that their new trainer was someone who was part of the Assault division, it was weird for their trainer to be someone other than the Guardians. Just what sort of demonic trainer was he? The more Katsuragi thought about it the more it got him worried and worked up over the prospect of what sort of demon awaited him.

"Come on, follow me."

Shino led the way towards the main building of the training ground. The training ground had expanded by quite a bit the last time Katsuragi came here. It was quite to see additional buildings being put up. The old looking shacks that were used before were converted into slightly more sturdy buildings. Sturdy old buildings that is. Shino walked over to a large building in particular, opening the door and stepping inside. The interior was like the room of the Wolves, lockers, resting area, boards to clip training schedules and a lot... a lot of sweaty people. Okay, so the Wolves did not have a lot of sweaty people but this room was like a sauna of sweat. You could actually see your very vision start to get foggy and literally 'see' the sweat cloud that lingered in the room. Rather, it was suffocating the room. Wasn't there a window or anything in here?

"... K-Katsuragi..."

Saya gripped onto Katsuragi's sleeve, tears starting to stream down her cheeks.

_[Saya is now looking very alluring]_

"S-Saya-san."

"I... I... I cannot take it anymore..."

Saya's grip on his sleeve tightened.

"I... I..."

"Saya-san..."

"I... BLARGH"

_[Saya vomited]_

"GAAH! Don't vomit over me!"

_[Katsuragi suffered unexpected attack]_

_[Katsuragi suffered massive damage]_

_[Katsuragi now stinks]_

At this moment, Shino reappeared before the two.

"Hey you two, let me introduce you to-... Katsuragi, that's gross."

Shino said, pinching her nose in disgust.

"You should go change. Here, a change of clothes."

A young man stepped forward and offered a new set of SSS2 uniform to Katsuragi, who took it thankfully. The young man had a short trimmed hair around the sides, but the hair on his top were naturally standing up, making it look like his hair was a set of tall grass. He had a soft sort of expression on his slightly tanned face.

"... Er... Thanks..."

Katsuragi said, taking the clothes.

"The changing room is right outside on the right. You cannot miss it."

The young man smiled and Katsuragi nodded, heading out, feeling that the sudden change in attitudes between Shino and this person was quite different. And the changing room was really obvious, since there was a giant neon sign pointing so. Really, you cannot miss it. Once changed, Katsuragi stepped outside the changing room, noticing that Shino, Saya (who was still hunched over and regurgitating her lunch), and the young man from before were waiting for him outside.

"You're done. Good. Does it fit just right?"

The young man asked, to which Katsuragi merely nodded. It did fit, which was a surprise.

"Good, let me introduce you two to your new instructor."

Shino said, pointing a thumb to the young man.

"This is Kai. Second lieutenant Kai. He will be training the two of you to be at least of an acceptable standard for us Guardians. Kai, I'll leave it to the two of you."

"Alright."

Kai nodded and Shino walked off. Turning to the two recruits, Kai smiled.

"So, I'll be training the two of you. We'll start of things slow and we'll work things up progressively."

Kai explained, which earned an immediately objection from Saya.

"I thought this was a training for Guardians. We do not have time to idle by and take things slowly."

Saya said outright, despite still looking sick. Kai blinked a couple of times at her, before nodding and smiling.

"I understand your impatience to learn and be stronger, but my training regime will take you to your goal. Believe in me and everything will be alright. Impatience will get you no where so just trust me. I will make the two of you stronger. Strong enough to face any challenge. Strong enough to be a Guardian."

* * *

Panting heavily, Kusanagi Yamato leaned her hands on her own lap as she tried to catch her breath. It had been a tiring week for her thus far. Both physically, and mentally. Her hellish training with Sakagami Tomoyo was already reaching its second week, Katsuragi was made into a Guardian while she wasn't, she had yet to get a promotion, and while she has shown improvement in skill and power, she feels as though it is still inadequate. Tomoyo walked over to where Yamato was with a can of Key Coffee in her hand.

"Looks like you're progressing quite well. Good."

Tomoyo nodded while sipping on her drink.

"I... I don't feel like I am getting to where I am. Not yet... not strong enough."

Yamato replied, closing her eyes.

"... You're still trying to aim for the impossible... Has everything I taught you mean nothing to you?"

Tomoyo asked with slight concern.

"I understand your position, senpai... but I need that strength."

"... Is it Katsuragi?"

The moment Tomoyo said that, Yamato's eyes opened. Bingo, or so Tomoyo's mind was telling her.

"I-..."

"... Fine. Anyway, I think it is about time for you to face your last trial."

Tomoyo turned and nodded to a figure that was standing at the edge of the training field. The figure stepped out and walked towards the two. Yamato looked up and was surprised to see that the person approaching them was-

"Ayane?"

Mitsuhide Ayane nodded to Yamato's question before looking to Tomoyo.

"Ayane is also my student. She had been training far longer than you, Kusanagi, and she has her own personalized weapon now. However you, on the other hand, took an intense form of training from me and have reached a respectable level. If anything, I believe that you are ready to take on Ayane as an opponent."

Yamato's eyes flew wide open upon hearing that.

"A-against Ayane? ! I-I can't do that!"

"But you will. I've been training you constantly for two weeks now, and this is the final test. I told you before, Kusanagi, that to obtain your own dreams, you must be prepared to crush the dreams of others. Do you want your dreams to end here? Didn't you train these two weeks to become a Guardian?"

Yamato gritted her teeth as she understood what Tomoyo was trying to say. But understanding it and accepting it were two different things. Yamato looked up to Ayane, who was silent as usual.

"Here. Use this."

Tomoyo tossed a pair of gloves to Yamato, who caught them. Tomoyo stared at the gloves in her hand and were surprised to recognize them as Tomoyo's.

"These are-"

"Those were mine. I have trained you in my style of fighting as you are quite similar to me. While it isn't your true personalized weapon, use it in this mock battle."

Yamato stared at the battle-worn gloves. So much wear and tear on them had shown her the struggles that Tomoyo had gone through to get to this stage. It showed Tomoyo's pain, her constant drive to be better, to right the wrongs of her past. So much time, effort, blood, sweat and tears poured into these gloves. Tomoyo was handing these to her. Yamato knew that she could not go back now. She pulled the gloves over her hand, feeling the confidence and power brimming throughout her. Tomoyo smiled in acknowledgement at Yamato's renewed confidence.

"Good. The two of you will now fight it out in a mock battle. The aim is to subdue the other. Use any and all methods available. No time limit. Use this field as your boundary, so don't step out of it if not you will fail this."

Tomoyo explained the rules and the two girls merely nodded, keeping their eyes on each other.

"Good. You may start."

The two girls immediately jumped away from one another, both trying to distance themselves in order to gauge what the other is going to do. Tomoyo smirked as she retreated to the outskirts of the field.

"Good tactic, Kusanagi. You never know how the enemy will attack first, so distance yourself. Give yourself ample space to get a feel of your opponent and formulate a plan to counter and attack... is what I would normally say. But your opponent... is someone who uses distance as an attack."

Ayane reached for her back and pulled out an odd triangular object. The object was larger than her own hand though Ayane showed that it was not a problem for her to grip onto. Yamato was confused and puzzled by the object, but not for long.

"_Access: Shangri-la'"_

Ayane muttered. Large blades shot out from the triangle, transforming the object into a large black boomerang the size being slightly taller than Ayane herself.

"What? !"

Yamato only realized it a split second later before Ayane hurled the boomerang at Yamato. Yamato could only jump to one side to dodge the incoming attack. The boomerang sliced through the ground where Yamato was a mere second ago, before it flew upwards and arced its way back to Ayane, who caught the weapon with one hand and spun her body around in order to slow down the spin of the boomerang without causing injury to her arm. But such a cool down was not a weak point for Ayane as she was already ready to throw her weapon once more.

"So... how are you going to get out of this mess, Kusanagi?"

Tomoyo wondered out loud with a smile on her face.

"... You have... bad taste."

A cold and stoic voice spoke up beside Tomoyo.

"Not as bad as yours. Are you sure you don't need to participate in your division's operation?"

"... They can handle it... or they would not be... guardians... Besides... you called me... here."

"That's right, I did call you here. These are my two new hopefuls. What do you think of them, Kou?"

Tomoyo finally turned to face the sixth division leader, whose bangs were casting a shadow over her eyes and expression. Kou leaned against a tree and observed the mock battle on the field.

"... That girl... She does not have... any connection to the program... this... is not a fair fight."

"True, Kusanagi doesn't have any power from the program, but she has determination and skill. Just watch. I think you'll be surprised."

Tomoyo smirked. Kou eyed Tomoyo for a moment, before turning her gaze back to the battle.

"... I thought... you were afraid of me... to the point... of not talking to me."

"Geh... er... well... After seeing these new recruits trying their best, I decided that it was time for me to get over my own obstacles."

Tomoyo explained, though not in a good way. Kou's lips curled slightly into a smirk, one that went unnoticed by Tomoyo.

"Whatever... you say."

Looking back at the battle, Yamato was beginning to feel like she was being pushed back. Ayane's speed in catching and throwing her giant boomerang was too fast for a normal person. Tomoyo wasn't kidding when she said Ayane was well trained. Yamato had Tomoyo's gloves, but unlike Tomoyo, Yamato had no skills to use with them. She wasn't 'linked' to the program, unable to bring out the true strength of these gloves. Yamato had learned from Tomoyo that the special 'skills' that the different people use in conjunction with their weapons was a part of the program. That much was obvious to Yamato from the beginning, but what she did not know until Tomoyo told her, was that the person himself had to be 'connected' to the program. In a process the SSS2 call 'tune linking', they have to set the program and the user to synchronize. Tomoyo did not explain in specifics, but from her expression it must involve a very painful process.

"Woah!"

Yamato ducked under another boomerang attack. Now wasn't time to think of unrelated things. All she had to think now was how to get in close enough without being cut apart by that boomerang.

"Come on... think!"

Yamato cursed herself. While Yamato had a strong will and strong fighting skill, it should be noted that her test scores are all average. It has also been proven in the past that Yamato was not exactly the thinking sort of person. She left complicated matters to Katsuragi to deal with, and since Katsuragi isn't here at the moment, she would need to deal with this problem by herself. Here are Yamato's options:

a) Try to punch the boomerang in hopes her fist is stronger than a steel edged weapon

b) Dodge the weapon till Ayane becomes tired though Yamato is most likely to tire out first

c) Parley

d) Run away

.

.

.

Parley? What the hell? Who comes up with this crap? And the first two were stupid reason to even attempt.

"Am I really stupid?"

Yamato wondered as she dodged another attack. But that was when she noticed something. Something even a toddler or monkey would understand-

"I get it already! I'm stupid so quit saying it!"

Right, you get it. So even the half-witted Yamato had noticed that the boomerang had to fly towards her, hit the ground before arcing upwards and back towards Ayane. The total time the boomerang actually was held in Ayane's hand was quite short compared to the time it spent flying in the air. And once a boomerang was thrown, its trajectory was more or less fixed. All Yamato needed, was the timing. Yamato dodged the next attack and traced the boomerang's return to Ayane. Ayane caught it once more, spinning herself to contain her weapon's momentum. Ayane eyed Yamato and threw her boomerang once more.

"Now!"

Yamato dashed forward, running straight for the boomerang. Just as it seemed that Yamato and the boomerang were about to collide, Yamato's figure disappeared in a blur, reappearing behind the boomerang and continuing her dash towards Ayane. This was one of Tomoyo's tricks, shun-po, or ground contracting. It focused a great deal of power into a single step, forcing the person to move almost instantaneously to another point, as though they were teleporting. This skill was considered a high level skill and was hard to control. It was like bottling up all of your energy for one sudden explosive burst. And there was another skill that Tomoyo taught Yamato. A skill that she used when she was calculating the timing of when to start running. It was also important for this skill to be used in conjunction with shun-po as it would allow Yamato to control her shun-po to a certain extent. That skill is called-

"Over-clocking."

Tomoyo said out loud.

"A skill that allows the user to over-clock their minds in order to process things faster, force their perception of time to alter, and at more advance stages, can cause the body to move just as fast."

"... I don't... need an explanation."

Kou muttered back.

"But it looked as though you were wondering about it. I did teach you a bit of it before, didn't I? But you weren't truly compatible with it. You could learn it, but your body would be unable to cope with the stress of over-clocking."

"..."

What Tomoyo said was true. While Kou had the ability to learn every skill available, her body was not trained to do such skills. Her frail and small frame was not suitable for rigorous and prolonged fighting, resulting in Kou's style of 'one-hit, twenty kills'.

"Maybe before... before all of this happened... before the battle of Big Site... maybe back then you could have learned this skill. But now..."

Tomoyo trailed off, afraid to say anymore than that. Kou closed her eyes for the moment.

"... Maybe..."

The fight between the two girls had just gotten to a new level as Yamato managed to dash past the boomerang and close the distance her and Ayane with extreme swiftness that it caught Ayane off-guard.

"This fight is mine!"

Yamato clenched her fist in preparation to punch Ayane. A punch strong enough to send a grown man flying at least a metre into the air. That is the sort of power that Yamato had been training with for quite some time. A power that she gained through her constant push and determination to get stronger through Tomoyo's gruesome and hellish training regime. It would be this power that Yamato will use to propel herself to reach her goal. If only it were that simple.

"... Too naive..."

Kou muttered. Just as Yamato's attack was about to connect, Ayane's left hand, which was behind her back all this while, suddenly pulled out from behind another one of those triangular objects.

"Shi-"

Before Yamato could complete her curse word, the object in Ayane's hand shot out to become a second giant boomerang. With one swing, Ayane brought the entire weight of her weapon down on Yamato. Yamato could only bring up her arms in reflex. A loud explosion erupted as the boomerang was brought down, causing a large dust storm of sweep out from the battle.

"It's over, huh."

Tomoyo muttered, sheltering her eyes from the dust. Kou narrowed her eyes at the battlefield, as though she could see past the clouds.

"... No... Not yet."

The dust slowly cleared, revealing that Yamato was done yet. Clashed against Ayane's boomerang attack, was another boomerang. Yamato had caught Ayane's first boomerang and used it to block Ayane's second boomerang.

".. Over-clocking."

Kou muttered. Within a short span of time, Yamato had managed to catch the first boomerang and use it to defend herself. Ayane realized this and immediately jumped back to set more distance between herself and Yamato, but the fierce Wolf member would not be shaken that easily. As she sprang forward, Yamato dragged the heavy weapon through the ground and upwards against Ayane. The Assault division member brought up her weapon in order to parry, but the combined momentum, weight and force that Yamato used in her attack proved too much for Ayane to guard against, resulting in her being knocked back, losing control and grip of her weapon.

"Now... the match... is decided."

And indeed the match was the decided by then. Yamato was in a clear advantage, ready to strike Ayane down with her own weapon. Yamato no longer had any hesitation to cut down her own friend, her own feelings. Only the fires of rage were still burning in her eyes. Nothing could stop her.

"_Close link!_"

Ayane shouted, raising her hand up to the boomerang in Yamato's hand. A light blue symbol emerged from her palm, forcing the boomerang to retract back into its original triangular block. Yamato may have missed, but she used her downward momentum, flipping her body and dragging her leg in one large arc around, ready to bring it down on Ayane. But suddenly it stopped. Yamato could not move her leg any further as it was currently immobilized by none other than Sakagami Tomoyo herself. Tomoyo had intervened in this fight, stopping both Yamato's leg attack, and Ayane's drawing of her combat knife with one hand each and with relative ease. Tomoyo was indeed someone to fear.

"That's enough, this match is concluded."

Tomoyo said sternly. The two combatants stared at Tomoyo. Ayane then nodded, putting back her knife. But Yamato still had those eyes. The eyes of insanity. This was bad. Yamato jumped back, repositioning her body into another stance, ready to attack.

"That idiot. After I warned her so many times about using over-clocking too much."'

Tomoyo muttered. Over-clocking was essentially forcing the brain to process every stimuli, every action and everything around the user. It can greatly speed up the user's speed, increase accuracy and decrease reaction time. But using it too much, or focusing too much can cause the user to go insane. The insanity of power. The mind would be unable to cope with the stress and Yamato may eventually reach the point of no return. Even dying and reviving may not help. Tomoyo knew of one such case. One of her former students over-clocked too much, resulting in him killing his own comrades. Even killing him and letting him revive did nothing as he went on another rampage. Kou was the one who eventually put him down. No one knows what happened or what Kou did, the only thing that was known was that the guy was put down and he disappeared from this World. Did he pass on? Or did Kou have a skill that was similar to the Angels? Tomoyo rather not find out. She will stop Yamato here. Yamato charged once more at Tomoyo, who had blinked only once. But in that one split second, her eyes changed.

_[Tomoyo activated Over-clocking: EX mode]_

Tomoyo reached out her hand, blocking Yamato's initial attack, pulled Yamato towards her side, kicking at her knee to cause a bone to break and to make Yamato lose balance and fall forward. Tomoyo released her hand, spun one round with her leg arcing to bring it down on Yamato's back, slamming Yamato into the ground. All of this happened within an instant. It happened faster than Yamato in such a way that Yamato's own over-clocked brain was unable to catch what happened, and wasn't able to react. The blow forced Yamato into the ground with a loud bang, causing a crater to form as well. But Tomoyo knew that even though Yamato was unable to do anything in her current position, within Yamato's eyes still had the flame. The determination. Yamato's ambition, her drive was fuelling her insanity even more. Over-clocking just became the trigger to set it off.

"Still trying? While that drive is good, it is also a double-edged sword. I cannot allow you to continue down this path."

Tomoyo said. With one short burst, Tomoyo caused the ground to explode as her foot drove Yamato harder and deeper into the ground. By the time the dust settled, Yamato had completely lost consciousness and Tomoyo stepped aside.

"She may be rough and wild, but she does have the skills. So what do you think of my two disciple's, sixth division leader-san?"

Tomoyo looked up to Kou who stood at the edge of the crater, looking down.

"... Fine... I'll take them."

Kou muttered, making Tomoyo smile a little.

"Good. That's all I need to hear. I can only guide them this far. The rest... is up to them to find their own paths."

Tomoyo said, looking down the unconscious Yamato.

"Grow strong, Kusanagi. Grow strong enough to face any obstacle. I have done all I can to help you. The rest is up to you."

"... Tomoyo... why do you help them?"

Kou asked as the assault division member climbed out of the crater. Tomoyo closed her eyes for the moment before looking at Kou.

"Maybe I'm trying to atone for my own regrets. Or maybe it is an old habit of mine, to help others when they are in need."

"... It isn't good... for your body."

Tomoyo smiled sadly as her hand covered over a scar on her arm.

"... My stay here... has been too long. But... I can still continue. I will not rest till my work is done. I swore to myself that if I am unable to help even one person... then I would be unable to face 'him'..."

Kou did not say a word in reply to that. This is the path that Sakagami Tomoyo chose for herself. There is nothing for Kou to do. Kou just had to focus on her own mission. Her own priorities. Her own vengeance.

* * *

Training was tough. Not that he did not already realize that when he was given the black band. A Guardian was a fighter, an elite of the organization that served no one but the reaper, Kurogane Kou, as well as allowing themselves to be consumed completely by their own hatred, their own vengeance. Their own insanity. Katsuragi panted, trying to catch his breath though the cold weather was not making it easier, having his lungs feel like it was being frozen from within. Second Lieutenant Kai stood by the side, silently observing the training. It was always like this. The Lieutenant would always give them the training instructions and let them do it on their own while he silently observes by the side. If there is something wrong with the way the training is performed or if they were not putting in enough effort, the second Lieutenant would simply tell them straight to the point, but he never did assert authority or force them to do it. In fact, the second Lieutenant was rather... soft on his approach to training. In the first place, why was this training done in the snow? !

"Well, it's snowing so there isn't much of a choice on where the training is. As for my approach... well, I guess there's a reason for everything."

Second Lieutenant Kai explained with a certain distant look in his eyes. A reason. Katsuragi knew that everyone in this World had a dark past. A secret that they kept. A reason for being here. But truth be told, Katsuragi was starting to find this whole 'secret background' thing extremely annoying. It was like everyone was hiding one huge secret behind their backs from him, somewhat like having a huge zit on your face that you can't see and everyone who sees that zit on you would simply look away with pity in their eyes. Or something along those lines.

"Anyway, the two of you are almost ready for the final test."

Kai said with his usual smile.

"... A test?"

Katsuragi wasn't exactly sure he was listening to that correctly. Test. An examination. Somehow, he did not like the sound of that. Did it have something to do with his past?

"Yes, a test. It is important to see how far you two have progressed and it is also used to see how effective the training is. The second reason is for my own benefit."

Kai explained. So that was the reason. But still... a test?

"Ah, before that, I have a serious question to ask."

Kai suddenly said, making Katsuragi suddenly think of some grave thing. What was this serious question? Was it to question if he really wanted to be part of Guardians? Whether they really believed themselves to be worthy? What sort of question?

"Is it better if the caramel went on top of the pudding? Or by the side?"

.

.

.

.

Eh?

"Hmm... that is indeed a serious question."

Saya nodded in agreement. Wait, you're agreeing with that statement? !

"What, Katsuragi? Do you not know the importance of the caramel?"

Saya raised an eyebrow. No! He doesn't know the importance of caramel! In the first place, is it suppose to be important? !

"Anyway, the caramel can wait. Right now for your test."

Now things were getting serious again.

"Being a Guardian means more than being able to defeat Shadows and Angels. Anyone can do that with just training. But what Guardians have that no other in the SSS2 have... is the determination to fight. Fight for all eternity. There is madness in this war, and the Guardians embrace it, use it, breathe it, live with it. For the Guardians, the very madness that drives everyone crazy can be said to be their power."

Kai walked over to his bag and pulled out two jars of essences. Black essences.

"I'm sure the two of you have heard before that black essences may consume those who do not have a strong resistance to it. Black essence is more or else the darkness that resides in this World, accumulated by those who pass through here, mainly humans like us. The darkness in their heart and souls, their ambitions, their sins, their despair. The final test... lies within yourselves. Each of you will now take one of these."

Kai passed the jars of essences to Saya and Katsuragi. Katsuragi held the jar to his eye level, staring straight into its deep dark blackness. It felt cold, scary... and foreign.

"Right, now what I'm going to let the two of you do is something that will test your own determination and strength. Remember that in this World, as long as you have the will for it, you can do it. Never lose track of your own paths. Face your own pains, your own regrets and overcome it. Overcome your own weaknesses. That is the way to get through this trial."

"My... own weaknesses."

Katsuragi muttered, mesmerized by the contents of the jar. What were his weaknesses? There were simply too many to actually count. The darkness within himself. Was this the reason why the Guardians were feared? Because they embraced this... darkness? Katsuragi felt fear. A fear unlike any he has ever known. The dark swirling mist seemed to suck him in, drawing his very soul into its dark grasp. It was hard to pull his gaze away. What... was this?

"I have no idea what you two will experience through this, as each person has a different fear, a different darkness. From this point, your journey is your own."

Kai's voice seemed more distant than before. Almost like a faint echo.

"Let's begin."

The moment Kai said that, he snatched the two bottles from Katsuragi and Saya's hands, causing the two to snap back to attention. The two were relieved to be back to normal, but that wasn't for long as they noticed that Kai held the two jars upwards above his head.

"Er... what is that-"

Before Katsuragi could finish his sentence, Kai swung both of his arms down, sending the two jars crashing down on the two recruits' heads. The jars smashed upon impact, causing the black essence to spill out and over them. With the impact, the two were also knocked out cold and collapsed onto the floor. Kai tossed aside the broken glass and watched with some guilt in his eyes as the black essences began to devour his two trainees.

"... I could not go through with this process, too afraid of what I may find. Because of that, I could not be a Guardian. I hope that the two of you will succeed where I have failed. Good luck."

* * *

"... Get... up... get... get up... Get up."

Katsuragi groaned, sitting up from the ground. Somehow all of this seemed too familiar. Maybe a little too familiar. He opened his eyes and blinked a little, trying to get his eyes back to focus. Where was he? If he recalled, he was meant to undergo some 'test' of sorts. Kai! That second lieutenant smashed a jar of black essence on his head and let him be devoured by it! There had to be better ways to do this test! Why smash the jar? ! He looked around and noticed something odd. He wasn't in 'that' World. No, he was in... a room. A bedroom. By the looks of things, this wasn't his bedroom but it felt extremely familiar. He turned around and saw someone standing there by where he was. It was a young girl with long dark raven hair and piercing eyes... wait a minute-

"K-Kurogane? !"

He stumbled backwards, surprised by her appearance. Why was she here? And... she was wearing a loose t-shirt that obviously did not fit her slim shoulders. And nothing else... This... this was a dream. Obviously a dream. Kou raised an eyebrow at him but ignored it.

"... You must have hit your head harder than I thought."

Kou muttered, walking over by the side of the room and seating herself on the chair. The chair gave a loud creaking sound as she sat on it, indicating that it was rather old. Nevermind the sound, it looked old just by itself. In fact, everything in this room looked old and worn out. Was this some sort of storage room? It was also rather small and cramped even when the number of furniture numbered so few. A worn out desk with chair, a cracked wardrobe held together with tape, an old bed with a stained mattress on it. Everything in this room just screamed 'antique'. Just what was this room? Kou pulled out a book from a bag by the side of the desk and started to write things in it.

Katsuragi felt curiosity take over, so he got up to his feet and walked over to take a look. He also noticed that he wasn't in the SSS2 uniform any more, rather he was in some t-shirt and shorts. Odd. It fitted him so well but he knew he never wore something like this before. Familiar, yet not all at the same time. He was having these flashes of deja vu all this time and it was getting extremely annoying. And disturbing. He leaned over Kou's shoulder and peered into the book she was writing. It was filled with mathematical formulae and numbers. Homework? But why would she be doing homework?

"... You're blocking my light."

Kou said, still continuing to write.

"Sorry."

Katsuragi replied, standing up straight. Kou seemed a little... strange as well. It was like she was more... lively than before. She still had the same dull atmosphere around here and her tone was more or less the same as her expression. But there was something about Kou that seemed off. Something besides her in a t-shirt and being in this run-down room. As for what exactly, Katsuragi could not put a finger on. Why? He looked around the room, wondering what other clues he could find. Was this the trial? Or was it something else? If this were the trial, then this is his darkness? In a run-down room with Kurogane Kou? What sort of darkness is this? Of lust because of Kou's current dressing? Of Greed because of the lack of goods? Of pride due to the run-down state of things? What exactly was this place? It wasn't his place... no... this was not his darkness, but rather the darkness of someone else's... someone he should know very well.

"... Are you done?"

Kou's sudden voice made Katsuragi turn back to her.

"Done? Done with what?"

He asked. Kou flipped a page in her textbook and continued to write more notes.

"... You came in my room to ask about tomorrow, didn't you?"

She asked. Tomorrow? What was going on tomorrow? And he did not recall coming in here to ask about anything-... wait... this is... her room... Kurogane Kou's room... this is... a girl's room... A girl dressed in a loose over-sized t-shirt, alone with a normal healthy young man in her room. There were too many ways this could go wrong. Way too many and Katsuragi was tempted to try them all at once. Never has the term 'Death Flag' been so strongly emphasized and displayed all around in such an obvious fashion.

"... So? What... you will not leave till you get an answer?"

Katsuragi would not even know what the question was in the first place. Kou sighed, putting down her pen and closing her notebook. She turned to face him with her usual blank expression.

"... Fine. I'll go with you. Now will you leave?"

Katsuragi did not even say a word.

"... Did you hit your head so hard that you do not know where the door is? Unless there was something else you want. I've already agreed to go out shopping with you tomorrow... even though I know full well that you're planning this to buy stuff for me and not yourself."

Kou muttered, narrowing her eyes at him as though he did something very wrong. Shopping? Did he ask her that? Maybe he really did hit his head.

"... By doing this... you're going to make 'that woman' angry again. You may not be the one being scolded, but it would be me who usually takes her wrath."

"Don't worry!"

Katsuragi suddenly shouted, though the words from his lips did not form in his mind before coming out. It was... almost as if his body was moving by itself.

"Don't worry, Kou. I'll protect you. I promise you that much!"

At 'his' words, Kou looked a little surprised. But then she softened and smiled. A rare thing that made Katsuragi blush a little.

"... I see. I will take you for your word... Onii-chan."

* * *

A/N: DUN DUN DUN! ! ! ANOTHER EPIC CLIFF HANGER! I'm getting rather addicted to these.


	30. Chapter 30

A/N: So a large majority of you readers think that putting this story into it's final arc is better than dragging it on. Thanks for the feedback, I'll throw everything I have into making this the most EPIC end ever! Well, not sure if I can accomplish that but I will try! Well, considering that it is nearly Xmas, take this as my Xmas present to all of you! Read and enjoy! It is rather short though.

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 30_

_Face of the Enemy_

Stifling a yawn, the young assault division member was wondering if anyone else from his squad was feeling slightly tired from all of this patrolling. Not really patrolling, as he realized just two weeks into his attachment into this group, but rather more like a stroll. Ein Shrewerz, the leader of the Assault division, had to keep up appearances in front of the other division heads, therefore assigning the different regiments within each squad to do patrols. Ein had a funny way of structuring his division as no other division had 'regiments'.

Every division had squads that handled different duties and within each squad, any further separation would be considered 'groups'. But Ein wanted to go with something more 'military' and called groups 'regiments'. That is completely wrong since regiments were made up of different squads, well, in the living World, that is. As for these patrols, Ein had told his division that this could be considered their 'time off' from training. His group walked around and corner and they ended up right in front of a vending machine. This route was planned, wasn't it?

"Oi, Yuugo, don't you have some change?"

One of his team members asked him.

"No, and I'm most definitely am not going to give you any even if I had some."

He stubbornly replied, earning a a scowl from his team mate.

"Stingy."

"If I recall, you still owe him one thousand yen, Kyousuke."

Another team mate butted in, which made Kyousuke scowl even more.

"Dammit, Maka, why can't you just leave guys to talk it out by ourselves?"

"Because your guy talk is usually trying to coax others into lending you money."

Maka snapped back at him.

"Ugh... fine, I'll just go thirsty for the rest of the week."

Kyousuke muttered, turning his back against the machine.

"There he goes again, with his stubborn baby act."

"Just ignore him, Yuugo. This happens every time"

With this being every time meant it was not a good habit. It was then Yuugo noticed something odd.

".. Hey, where did everyone go?"

He asked out loud, prompting the rest of the squad to look around.

"Is it lunch time or something?"

"No... even if it is, there would be students loitering around the place."

Maka narrowed her eyes at the end of the corridor.

"It's quiet... too quiet."

Yuugo then noticed something at the other end of the corridor. Something... black.

"Er... guys? I think... we're not alone any more"

"Shadows!"

"They're behind us as well! We're surrounded!"

"W-Where did these numbers come from? !"

"We need to warn Fort-"

* * *

"What? !"

Yuki shouted, slamming her hands onto her table, causing more cracks to form on the already broken desk. Normally, Ein would say something about her breaking desks on a daily basis, but now wasn't the point. Now... there was something extremely terrible going on.

"As I said, the enemy is attacking. It isn't just one or two of them. An entire army. The entire school is now swarmed with Shadows and Angels."

Ein reported once more. Yuki's body was shivering as the weight of those words seeped in. Her hand clenched up, crumpling the paper in her hand.

"Why wasn't this report made sooner?"

"Because it was too sudden for us as well. The first report came in from the third Frontal assault regiment over by Complex D and then it has been spreading throughout the entire school. Now there isn't even a single NPC left. The only ones in this World are the SSS2... and the enemy."

Yuki gritted her teeth, angry at this sudden turn of events. Has the final battle begun? They weren't ready. The SSS2 wasn't ready for the last battle! Years of building up this strength had also caused the organization to weaken internally. Divisions, squads, regiments... while the structure was there, the very foundation and the structure itself were weak... frail.

"... What the status of our forces?"

Yuki dared to ask. Ein closed his eyes.

"Unfortunately... the enemy appeared so suddenly that our forces were scattered and divided almost immediately. Guild is completely closed off to us as Shadows are flooding into the tunnels even as we speak. The intelligence division has disappeared completely and no one has heard from them. Our Diversion Division had taken the largest number of casualties. I have tried to recall my division back to the woods but so far only a third of my men have returned. Yuki, we need to evacuate this place. Pull back to the woods so that we can regroup."

Yuki refused to accept what was happening. How could everything she worked so hard for come crumbling down? These were just Shadows and Angels. They have fought them before. Why was this so different? The number of enemies? Their sudden appearance without notice? The internal struggles within the organization? Was it her own fault? Was it her own weakness? Why wasn't she stronger? Why couldn't she protect her people? Why couldn't she give the right orders? Why couldn't she keep them together?

"Yuki! Snap out of it!"

Ein's voice called out to her with his hands onto her shoulder to shake her out of her uncontrollable thoughts. Ein knew that Yuki was getting worse each passing day, but now wasn't the time to get her to calm down. They needed to get out.

"Now isn't the time to doubt yourself! We need to abandon Fort!"

"A... ban.. don... Fort..."

Those words were like a sharp knife, piercing her heart.

"Yuki!"

Yuki snapped back to reality. She knew what Ein was saying was right. But... to abandon Fort. Fort, the place where it all began. The place where her journey to fight started. The symbol of their struggles. The last hope and bastion of the SSS2 against the tyranny of their lives. Against God. And she had to give it up? All without a fight? Throw everything she had just so that she could survive? Was she to live with the shame of being the only to survive again? !

"Don't think about trying to stay and fight, Yuki. Even with your skills, you cannot stand up to the number out there."

"Don't tell me what I can or cannot do! You, who doesn't hold onto an SSS ranked weapon!"

Yuki snapped at Ein, who closed his eyes. It was true. Out of all of the division heads, he was the only one without a high class weapon. Jinnai from Diversion was not the real head of Diversion, but rather more like an assistant to Awase. But what Ein lacked, he made up for in strength, training, and determination.

"I may not have an SSS ranked weapon... but you should know my abilities are able to exceed that."

Ein said firmly, his fist tightening. Yuki narrowed her eyes at him. Ein Shrewerz didn't become a division head solely due to his strength and skill... no... It was his mind that was strong. Despite his looks, Ein was a quick and firm thinker. His calculative moves were only second to Kenji, the Intelligence division head. Ein may not have a weapon capable of destroying nine Worlds, but he wasn't an enemy Yuki would like to have.

"... Fine. We will retreat."

Yuki sighed, nodding to her two assistants, who rushed out to relay the order.

"What of Kou and her Guardians?"

Yuki asked, hoping that they still had a ray of hope left. But Ein simply shook his head.

"We lost contact with them shortly after they initiated their latest Operation. That was about three hours before the attacks came."

Kou was lost... Yuki knew that it was rather impossible, but even Kou wasn't God. She was human who could die, could bleed. But even so... For Kou to drop out of contact... no, it cannot be.

"Yuki! Let's go!"

Yuki looked up and saw that a contingent of Wolves waiting by the door, waiting for her with their weapons all drawn and ready. Iori stood with Ein, expression showing clear fear and worry. If Iori was like this... then all hope was lost. Iori... a strong fighter chosen by Kou herself. Nothing would phase him... but this. This was hell. She thought they were prepared for anything, that they could fight anyone. Everything was lost... gone. Her work, her blood, her sweat... everything. Now lost to the winds... lost to the very enemy she trained her army to fight. Lost to the very enemy she vowed to defeat. How could she lose? How could it all go wrong? Why did it go wrong?

"Yuki!"

"... Alright, let's go."

Yuki glanced over to her office one last time. So many memories, so many trials. Her first discovery of this office. The place where she decided to make her stand. The place where she revived the SSS as the SSS2. It would be here that she thought she would be invincible, where she would be able to face all challenges. Her seat of power. Her destiny to change her cruel fate. Lost... All lost. She closed her eyes, trying to push the memories away but to now avail. The pain within her screamed out to be heard.

"I... I always thought I would make my last stand here."

She commented off-handedly, before she opened her eyes once more, focused and determined. She pulled out her pistol and pulled the slide back, chambering the next round.

"I will not let this end here and now. Iori."

Her sharp tone made Iori immediately respond.

"Yes, my queen."

Within him, Iori knew that Yuki was back. The one and only Queen of Fort. She was, and always will be, their leader. He was a Wolf, one who runs in a pack or alone. But more importantly, he was a Wolf of the Queen. Whatever uncertainty that was within him was dispelled immediately with her voice.

"Take your men and clear a way. We must regroup with the remaining Assault groups back in the forest. Gather all necessary and essential equipment and retreat."

Yuki ordered as she stormed through the hallway. Her presence made all of the panicking SSS2 members snap back into focus as they rushed to reorganize themselves back into a cohesive force. The presence of the Queen was more than enough to change the tide of the battle. But even that, Yuki knew that her presence would do little in the long run. They must retreat.

"Destroy all things we cannot bring with us. We must not allow the enemy to use our own weapons against us."

"At once. But what of our rear?"

Iori asked. At the moment only a handful of Wolves together with the Fort main defenders were holding back the tide of enemies, but even they would soon succumb to the sheer numbers that they face.

"That..."

Yuki gripped her cane and pulled her beret lower.

"... Leave that to me and Ein."

* * *

Chaos. That was the only description Yamato could describe the current situation. Just pure chaos. Bullets, rockets, lasers flying everywhere. Swords, spears, maces being swung about. Explosions everywhere, dead bodies covered the floor like a carpet. Blood ran across the hallways like a stream so thick it was like a bog, staining the walls with a red so dark it made school seem like it was covered with darkness. It was like hell. There was no other way to describe it other than hell. Kusanagi Yamato flinched when a stray bullet ricocheted off the wall a mere inch away from her head.

"I want to go home!"

Someone behind her cried. She turned around and saw that a whole group of frightened SSS2 members were taking shelter in the same classroom as herself. She took a moment to rethink of this situation. She was suppose to meet Kurogane Kou, the leader of the Guardians, after being accepted through her final test with Fujibayashi Kyou. However she was directed down to Fort first to talk with a guy called Musashi to collect her personal weapon. She was on her way there when all hell broke loose.

Shadows appeared everywhere as well as Angels. There wasn't a single innocent NPC left. Everyone who wasn't part of the SSS2 was an enemy. With the enemy's sudden appearance, Yamato immediately sought shelter in this classroom, holding out against the onslaught of enemies with a small group that managed to escape the initial massacre. But the group was low on supplies. Yamato only had a few rounds left in her shotgun and a few more magazines for her pistol. She had no idea what sort of personal weapons she had waiting for her, but it was certain that it was a better alternative to her current weapons.

With her current fire power, she could maybe reach the tunnels of Guild, but what if Guild itself was overrun as well? All contact with the other divisions were cut off without warning so everyone was on their own. The screams of an SSS2 being killed and devoured echoed through the hallway, making Yamato close her eyes in an attempt to shut it out mentally. There was nothing they could do for those poor souls. They were trying to survive on their own. If they rushed out to save every single one of those stranded SSS2 members, all of them would die. But the longer they stay here, the lower their chance for success would be. The only problem is... how to convince the others to follow her. By herself, she has no chance of reaching Guild. But with the combined efforts of the others, she just might succeed.

"Hey, I have to ask you guys-"

"You want to go down to Guild, am I right?"

One of the assault division members asked.

"... How did you know?"

Yamato asked back.

"It's the closest to our current position, and we can also stock up on provisions."

"... 'We'?"

"Yes, you don't expect us to simply stay here to die, do you? We're SSS2. We will always find a way out of this."

The SSS2 members all nodded in agreement. Even the ones who were crying and being all frightened before now had a more confident face.

"Besides, aren't you a Guardian?"

Yamato scratched her head at that. Though she did receive a black back, tying it around her hand, she wasn't formally inducted into the sixth division yet.

"As you are a Guardian, it is our duty to obey any order you give us, even if it should lead to our demise."

The SSS2 member stood up and placed his fist against his chest like he was taking a pledge. The others in the room all followed suite.

"We of the SSS2 pledge our lives to Guardians. We are the bullet of your gun. We live only to serve. Your will is our command. For the sole purpose of eliminating our enemies, we shall cast ourselves to the pits of fire. By this pledge we swear."

The SSS2 member chanted. The others all followed with-

"We swear."

Yamato wanted to protest, but she had more important things to do. She had to use this chance, whether it would cost the lives of others or not. But... Yamato smiled softly.

"Fine, follow me if you will. But I will not waste your lives. If each of you feel like you do not like my decision, feel free to leave or tell me. I have no intention of leaving anyone behind. Got it?"

The SSS2 members all looked perplexed at her word, but then smiled.

"As you wish, Guardian."

* * *

"... I see. I will take you for your word... Onii-chan."

Onii... chan? Katsuragi felt a strange sensation wash over him. What was this? It was like... strangely soothing. Like it was meant to be, but at the same time he was rejecting it. It was foreign, something that wasn't his being. What was going on? His head was... spinning.

"Onii-chan?"

Kou tilted her head in confusion. Ahh! W-What is this weird feeling? ! She called him 'onii-chan', and it made him all weird! What was this, some sort of sick twisted plot by Yukari to get him all flustered? Yes, that must be it! Yukari must be hiding somewhere, laughing her ass off as he gets weirder by the minute. What sort of fetish does she think he has? Merely by calling him 'onii-chan', doesn't make him waver one bit-

"You're acting weird, Onii-chan."

Kou said, leaning in closer to him. TOO CLOSE!

"GAAHH!"

He screamed, retreating backwards in a hurry. His back hit against the wall, causing him to wince. It was then when he noticed something. Something extremely wrong. His entire surroundings... they were... melting. Like water colour paint running down a canvas, they streamed down. The walls, the bed, the table, all of the furniture all 'melted' into darkness. Even Kou seemed to melt away with the surroundings.

"W-what?"

Soon everything around him was mere darkness. Pitch black. He looked around. The room was gone. Kou was gone. He reached out around him and felt nothing. Even the wall that he bumped into just now was gone. Replaced with emptiness. What was going on?

"Wha-"

A sudden bright light blinded Katsuragi, forcing him to shelter his eyes. He slowly opened his eyes, and noticed that the darkness was gone.

"What... is this?"

He was suddenly standing at a traffic junction by the light. It was a crowded street in some sort of shopping district and there were many waiting along side him for the light to change. Where was this? What was happening?

"Onii-chan?"

He turned and saw her. Kurogane Kou. Dressed in a simple t-shirt and jeans with worn out sneakers, she looked almost like cinderella from the stories... but. What was happening?

"Is something wrong?"

Kou asked, tilting her head at him.

"W-where are we?"

He asked, seeing as how everything around him was unfamiliar. Unfamiliar... but somehow he could not help but have the greatest fear of this place. Kou narrowed her eyes at him.

"We're at Shinjuku. We just finished shopping... Are you sure you're alright? You have been acting weird since yesterday"

He wasn't sure if he was alright. What was happening to him? Memory lapses? Or... something else?

"KYAA!"

A scream caused him to turn and look. A large truck was swerving out of control on the road. People were starting to run and scatter, trying to avoid the truck. But for him, it was too late. The truck swerved and tilted over, its large mass heading towards him. In that split moment, he noticed that Kou had her back towards the truck, unaware of the danger that was approaching. Instincts took over as he grabbed her and pushed her out of the way. Why did he do that? Why didn't he run away? Why? The truck was mere inches from him when-

"You have done something stupid. But then again, it was what I did as well."

Everything froze as a voice spoke out. He did not dare to blink, the surface of the truck just touching the tip of his nose. This was... really close.

"You've really put yourself into too many weird predicaments. I'm starting to think that you're a sucker for punishment. Are you a masochist?"

The voice mockingly laughed. Katsuragi turned around, trying to see whose voice it belongs to but... he could not identify the owner.

"While I would like to spend time to laugh at your pathetic attempts to solve this mystery, it seems that we have run out of time. We must talk."

The sound of snapping fingers echoed around him and everything around him disappeared, plunging him into darkness once more. Katsuragi looked around him, confused, puzzled, worried.

"Don't worry, I won't hurt you. Still, you look like a headless chicken set on fire."

What sort of analogy is that?

"Still, it must weird, talking to mere darkness. Well, I agree. It is faster and easier to talk face-to-face."

Stepping into view, as though the darkness was nothing more than a thin veil, a young man with dark hair and cheeky look stood before Katsuragi, dressed in the uniform of the NPCs. An enemy?

"Do not worry, I'm a friend."

The boy smiled. For some reason, he looked really familiar. That face...

"Hmm, you recognize me, don't you? You know me, yet I am a stranger at the same time. Don't worry, you're not crazy. The reason why I look familiar is because I.."

The boy smirked as he took a pause.

"I... am the twin brother Kurogane Kou. My name is Kurogane Kei."

* * *

A/N: Who ever said that Katsuragi was Kou's brother? If you looked at the earlier chapters, I did specifically say that Katsuragi had no blood relation to Kou. The mystery will be solved in the next chapter once and for all though the fighting will span another 2-3 chapters. So I estimate another 3-4 chapters before this will be done. May be longer, may be shorter, who knows?


	31. Chapter 31

A/N: It's been a long while since I last updated! Hope no one had scratched their brains out trying to figure out what is going on in my story. FEAR NOT! Everything will be clearer in this chapter! In fact... It will be clear within the first _**PARAGRAPH!**_

Life has been tough, but with the new year, it's time to tighten up our fundoshi and go head on with whatever this year may throw at us! Well, this may be late (mainly because I was too caught up with stuff at work and also with nights of long partying) but I'll be in your care this year as well. あけましておめでとう。今年もよろしく！

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 31_

_What Lies Beneath_

"Kurogane... Kei?"

Katsuragi was confused by the presence of this person before him. He claimed to be Kurogane Kou's brother, but why appear before him? Why now? What was going on here?

"You look confused. That should be a given."

The boy who calls himself Kurogane Kei said with a smug look on his face. Something about that smug just pisses Katsuragi off.

"There is much to talk about and little time to actually talk about it... that sounds even more confusing. Where should I start from? Ah yes. You're not human."

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"HUH? ! ? !"

This guy... he just said something extremely incredible. Something beyond incredible. Something so out of context, incredibly impossible that it did not really register in his head.

"Right, onto the next point-"

"WAIT WAIT WAIT! **JUST WAIT A DAMN MINUTE**!"

Katsuragi shouted. What, did this Kei guy just ignore that incredible fact he just said out less than a minute ago? Don't ignore it!

"What is it now? I need to explain the next point."

He just ignored it! AGAIN!

"Don't just push aside the fact that you just said something incredibly ridiculous like it is mere dust! What do you mean I'm not human? !"

Katsuragi demanded. Kei sighed, shaking his head in dismay. Don't give that 'I-can't-be-bothered' attitude! Please be serious!

"Really, seriously, I don't have a lot of time to explain everything. Even the author has better things to type about than to explain a whole chapter's worth of things to you. Use your head a little, would you?"

"THERE ARE PLENTY OF THINGS THAT NEED TO BE EXPLAINED! Even the author cannot be that lazy to skip the explanations! In the first place,** THAT WAS TOO SUDDEN OF A PLOT TWIST TO REVEAL**! Too many things are missing out so the readers are all left clueless about what is going on!"

Kei sighed once more, averting his eyes to one side. Really, is this how someone who is going to explain a very important issue be acting?

"Fine... let's do this again."

Kei muttered, straightening out his posture. Looking dead serious into Katsuragi's eyes, Kei looked very much like Kou now. So he really was her brother.

"You, Katsuragi... are not human."

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"Right, onto the next agenda-"

"THAT WAS NO DIFFERENT FROM THE FIRST TRY!"

Katsuragi shouted. He was having to do tsukkomi after tsukkomi with this guy non-stop for the five minutes since they first met. What a vast difference from Kou. He would take his previous comment back. He is nothing like Kou.

"Tch, fine fine. Have it your way. Let's start from the very very very beginning."

Kei muttered, waving a hand and a chair just appeared in the middle of nowhere. He sat down on the chair and crossed his legs, mulling over his thoughts.

"Right, so as I had said twice before, you are not human. You never were. You're an NPC of this World."

That caused a lot of confusion in Katsuragi, as well as panic, fear, bewilderment. Every single emotion besides happiness all washed over him all at once. His mind went blank. What does he mean NPC? He couldn't possibly be an NPC. He didn't think like one, act like one, and even Tanaka didn't say anything.

"You're a very different kind of NPC, Katsuragi. One of a kind. Have you not noticed how everything seems either 'familiar' to you, or 'easier'? You are not human, but rather a being generated by a program."

"A... program? ... Me?"

Katsuragi was feeling a wave of panic surge throughout his entire self. No, this was all wrong. This has to be a dream.

"This is no dream, Katsuragi. You are not human. The memories, thoughts and emotions are all fabricated. I infused my soul into you to allow you to join the SSS2 so that you could be the one to guard my sister, Kou."

"Protect... Kou?"

"Yes. I cannot protect her as I am not fully part of the afterlife. I was a special case, much like 'him', floating around neither in life, nor in death. We were those rare cases of those that 'slip through the cracks'. And thanks to 'him', I was able to anchor my essence and existence into this Afterlife."

"'He'?"

"The student council president, Otonashi, had tinkered around with the system and the Angel Program. Not too sure what is going on through his head, but he usually does have a goal in mind."

"Oto...nashi?"

Somehow that name sounded familiar. Extremely.

"Yes, Otonashi. You could say that he's the one pulling the strings behind everything. Of course, this bloody war wasn't part of his plans. Otonashi then went ahead with testing out more advance features of the program, one of which was the creation of NPCs themselves. The first batch was botched, of course, you can never get things right from the very beginning. But Otonashi did not quit, taking the good parts of the first batch and made the second batch. Out of the second batch, only three were deemed successful. However two of them went on a rampage. Running amok without proper authorization. In fact, these two are the reason why the SSS2 are at war."

This fact made Katsuragi blink and stare. The real cause of this war?

"... What do you know of this World, Katsuragi?"

Kei suddenly asked, snapping Katsuragi out of his thoughts.

"Erm... that it is a place for regrets?"

"... Yes... and no. You see, humans can only live once. Then we are reborn back into the cycle. But what happens immediately after death? What goes on until we are reborn? Many people have sought to find out. Of course, no mortal can ever truly fathom the real nature of this place, but we can. We're dead and in your case, you aren't even human. This World is made up by humans. Every single human being has their own vision and thoughts on life and death. There isn't a single person who has not thought of what lies beyond life. The more they think about it, the greater their fears. The greater their fears, the stronger their desire to find the answer. Everyone has sought for answers. Humans have wishes, despairs, regrets... mainly emotions and feelings. Because we have independent thought that we create useless things not necessary for basic survival. And it is also due to this independent thought that we lose ourselves to madness. We desire more, fear the unknown and attempt to break laws that we have set in place ourselves. This World is made up of those feelings, those thoughts... those shadows in our hearts."

"Shadows..."

Kei nodded his head.

"Yes, Shadows. Shadows are part of this World, as are the NPCs. If this World was created by humans desiring for an Afterlife, then the NPCs would be the ones who ensure that this 'World' is constantly being maintained. Humans are social creatures by nature, so NPCs must exist in this World. Shadows are formed from either extreme darkness, or from an excess of it. An excess amount of darkness would cause an NPC to be distorted, twisted by the darkness into something that seeks to eliminate the cause of the excess darkness. That means humans coming to this World. Humans, unwilling to back down, created and used the Angel program to fight back. The Angel Program was something created a long time ago to harness the power of this World, in other words to manipulate the darkness of the heart, or what you would call 'essence'. By controlling essence, one is able to manipulate anything in this Afterlife. And I mean anything."

"... Including myself?"

Katsuragi was almost afraid to ask. Kei smiled and nodded.

"Yes, including yourself. However to create an NPC separate from the World like yourself, a lot of detail, time and effort need to be made. It was really a long process of trial and error but eventually Otonashi finally did it. He created three NPCs separate from the system. The two on rampage, and you. You are the true prize of Otonashi, and you are his last hope... you are everybody's last hope."

Kei said that last part gravely. What was happening? What was going on?

"Otonashi initially wanted to understand the system more, in a desperate attempt to reach an unattainable goal. I am not too sure what he meant by that since he never really told me himself. But what I do know is that he attempted to create NPCs that were more like human souls. But even in this World, playing God has its limits. Your... siblings, as I would call them, were corrupted by this World. They are, after all, made from this World. By absorbing too much hatred, despair and darkness, they went rampant and eventually became the cause of the SSS2's war."

"They... started this war?"

"Yes. Fortunately Otonashi was able to isolate your core program before the corruption reached it, allowing you to be spared the agony of being twisted like your siblings. Now they believe that they are sent by God to eradicate all humans whom they judged to be unworthy of living. Otonashi and I knew that they had to be stopped but Otonashi was unable to undo his own creations. He's too gentle. As for me, I am not completely part of the Afterlife. I only have one regret... but that one regret is strong enough to force my existence into this place. So we took a gamble. A gamble with my soul on the line. We placed our bet on you, Katsuragi."

Kei pointed a finger to Katsuragi. But... why him?

"You are considered the 'perfect NPC' by Otonashi. Separate from the system yet part of it. You have grown alongside humans, adapting to human behaviour and you now have a choice. Either save the SSS2, or simply let it vanish. Swallowed up by the mad ambitions of your siblings."

"There's no way I'll let the SSS2 die out!"

Katsuragi suddenly shouted aloud, causing Kei to smile.

"I know you will not. You inherited my will together with my soul. I chose you, Katsuragi, to safeguard my sister where I could not. You are no longer a normal NPC... but something more. I can see why Otonashi favours you."

Kei nodded, getting up to his feet. He then outstretched his hand to Katsuragi, who blankly stared at it for the moment.

"Take my hand, if you are truly determined to protect that which you hold dear to your heart."

Katsuragi was hesitant. This mere gesture of a hand did not seem like much, but yet at the same time it was like a giant leap from his old self. Would he accept it? Was he willing to accept this... 'truth' that Kei told him? Or was it all just a plot by the shadow to confuse him? While Katsuragi did have doubts about this whole 'truth', he felt as though he could trust Kei. Like everything he said was... real. But why? Was it because he really was just an NPC infused with Kei's soul? His thoughts went back to what Yukari said. Everything has more than side. Every fact has more than one truth. In this case... what would be real?

"... Nothing venture, nothing gain."

He muttered, reaching out and grabbing Kei's hand. At that moment of contact, Katsuragi felt a sudden surge rush through him. His mind flashed thoughts, memories, information.

'You're my masterpiece.'

That voice...

'Your actions are very peculiar, even for an NPC I created.'

He knows this voice.

'You went to meet her directly? Are you mad? ... You... find her interesting?'

He knows that scene.

'You watch over her every single day, don't you get bored?'

His own decisions.

'You volunteer to guard her? ... Well, I guess I can't say no. But you will have to be extra careful.'

That fateful choice.

'I'm going to infuse Kei's soul into you- ... No, it will not change your personality program... Your food preferences? Should not be different- but since when did you get a food preference? !'

'How does it feel? Having a human soul in you? ... Oh, those foreign memories are normal. Anything else you find odd? ... Nothing at all? ... I see, that's good.'

'I do not know what lies ahead when I do this. It's never been done before... huh? Wipe your memory? ... Sure, it can add as insurance but... you're sure? ... Alright.'

'I would like to give you administrative powers- ... You don't want them? ... I see, as I thought, you are special.'

'You're the chosen one... my chosen one.'

It was like being electrocuted to wake up. But it wasn't painful. And in a mere instant, Kei let go his hand, letting Katsuragi fall to one knee to catch his breath.

"Do you see now, Katsuragi?"

Kei asked. Katsuragi closed his eyes, panting like he just ran a marathon, but soon he stood up. His eyes filled with renewed vigour.

"Ah... I remember it all now."

Katsuragi muttered, looking at his own hands.

"I really am just a mere copy of a human."

"No. You are not."

Kei interjected, causing Katsuragi to look up once more.

"You are more than a copy, Katsuragi. We chose you not only because you were the only second batch NPC left, but because you had shown particular abilities since your creation. Do you not remember?"

Katsuragi closed his eyes as his memories went back. Yes, he was considered... 'special'. He had disobeyed Otonashi's word and established contact with Kurogane Kou to help her when she was swallowed by the Shadow. He did not know why he did it at that time. Maybe Kou piqued his interest? Or was it something else?

"You helped my sister once, and that was when I decided that you would be the best candidate to act as her guardian, thus I infused my soul into you."

Kei explained, to which Katsuragi nodded in agreement.

"Yes... and it was also to allow me to infiltrate the SSS2 without being detected, thus all of my memories of being an NPC were wiped as well, to avoid any suspicious actions I may cause. Some in the organization were already suspicious of my actions."

"Yes, their leader, Taeno Yuki, already knew you were an NPC, but Kou protected you by bringing you into her division. It was quite a close one though not as close as when Kou almost shot your head off."

Kei sniggered, though Katsuragi was not impressed by that memory.

"Kou is sensitive to NPCs with special abilities. She was able to sense my locked up abilities even through your soul."

"Yes, she is quite a unique one... So, do you know what you need to do?"

Kei asked. Katsuragi looked once more at his hand.

"You gave me administrative rights."

He noted.

"Yes, you will need it to end this madness. Otonashi and I had hoped to end this without it coming to this... but..."

Kei trailed off, but Katsuragi knew what he meant.

"I understand. I will end Number 01, Amatsukai Ichigo, and Number 02, Amagami Futayo, with my own hands."

"Good. Speaking of which, what is your full name?"

"... Number 00, Katsuragi... Katsuragi Rei."

* * *

He opened his eyes, finding himself staring up at some sort of dark brown ceiling. This is...

"We're in the Guild tunnels."

He looked over and saw a familiar face. Second Lieutenant Kai sat by the wall, blood trickling down his head as he tried to smile.

"... Why are we here?"

He asked, getting up to his feet.

"War. An attack by Shadows and Angels caught us all by surprise. I managed to get you two down to the tunnels as the two of you are in critical condition. The training area is currently a war zone."

Kai explained, using a rag cloth to tie up a wound on his thigh.

"Nggh!"

Kai tried not to scream out loud as he tightened the make-shift bandage. Falling limp, Kai's eyes looked out of focus. He must have suffered a lot to bring Katsuragi and Saya here. Katsuragi Rei looked over to Saya, noticing that the other trainee was still in a deep coma-like state. But Rei could tell, Saya was losing in her battle against her darkness. After all, Rei wasn't human. Still, in this current situation, Kai was probably the one needing immediate attention. Rei walked over to Kai and knelt down by the Assault member. Placing a hand against Kai's wounds, Rei focused on one thing. Healing.

"... Administrative console; access defence_skill: Healing. Activate."

Rei said in a monotonous voice. From his hand a dim light appeared and seemed to seep into Kai's wounds. Slowly, but surely, all of Kai's wounds were closed up.

"Katsuragi... so, you really aren't human, after all."

Kai muttered with a smile. Rei stood up and shook his head.

"No, but I am not the enemy... You don't seem surprised."

Rei noted. Kai smiled, closing his eyes to rest as he spoke.

"I was already informed ahead of time by Taeno Yuki about you. However since Kou came directly to me and asked me to train you anyway, I simple followed her orders. Kou is someone I can trust, particularly in her judgement with NPCs."

"... I see."

Rei replied. It was Kou again. Kou seemed to know everything, yet why did she still protect him? Because she sensed her brother within him? Or was it something else? Rei know realized why he cannot correctly guess what others around him think. It's because humans train of thought was really too deviant, too radical. The fact that humans can still be organized with such thoughts is really an astounding feat. Wait, back to the task at hand. Rei walked over to Saya and knelt down by her. Her darkness was devouring her at an accelerated rate. She must be losing confidence in herself to combat her own weaknesses.

"Can you heal her?"

Kai asked, still unable to get up to his feet.

"I can... but... If I am not careful, I might get swallowed by her darkness as well. I am not human so the darkness will corrupt me with greater success than it could to a human being if I am not careful."

Rei explained, observing how best to approach the task at hand. He carefully placed one hand on her forehead and gingerly placed his other on her abdomen.

"Access..."

_Accessing_

.

.

.

_File corrupted_

_Unable to access_

"Administrative console."

_Administrative console activated_

"Search for all corrupted data."

_Searching_

.

.

.

_Search result found 912051 files corrupted_

_Compiling results_

"Purge all corrupted data."

_Purging_

.

.

.

_Purge complete_

At this point, the darkness in Saya had been erased, but there was still the problem of Saya's soul. It was corrupted, devoured by the darkness.

"... Search, fragmentations."

_Searching_

.

.

.

"De-fragmentation process activate. Console list restore system."

_De-fragmentation of fragmentations may cause some damage to core system, continue?_

"Yes."

_De-fragmenting_

.

.

.

_Console list_

_- Restore to previously stored system_

_- Restore to default system_

_- Restore all systemic routines._

"Restore to previously stored system."

_Restoring_

.

.

.

_De-fragmenting complete_

.

.

.

_Restoration complete._

_Reboot?_

"Yes."

Rei then let go of his hands and stood back up.

"... Is she... going to be fine?"

Kai asked.

"I've done all I can. The rest is up to her. The human soul is something I am unable to calculate. It is something that can overcome impossible odds... I believe that in this case, we should simple have faith in Saya's soul to fight back."

Rei replied, walking over to Kai and standing by him to watch Saya.

"It is odd... hearing an NPC talk about souls and faith."

"I guess... it is odd for me to say it."

Rei muttered, staring at his own hands. He wasn't human. That fact was still fresh in his numb mind. While it was the truth, it wasn't something that could be swallowed and accepted in a a few minutes.

"No... it isn't odd."

Kai replied with a smile.

"Though you are an NPC, I am sure that there are times when even the rules are broken. There will be times when you go against everything your existence stands for. You do all this because you have something you want to protect. You have something that you value more than yourself. This... this conviction and determination is proof, Katsuragi. Proof that you are more than an NPC."

Rei turned to Kai with a smile.

"Thank you, second lieutenant. Your words are comforting enough for me to go on."

"... You need to go on ahead."

Kei said, pointing towards further down the tunnel.

"Above ground is dangerous and we need to break the siege that is keeping Guild from the rest of us. Head to Guild first. I'll catch up once Saya recovers."

Rei was hesitant at first. Though he knew that it was the right course of action to take, somehow... he needed to know something.

"You trust me?"

Rei asked, making Kei raise an eyebrow at him.

"Trust you?"

"Yes... I am an NPC, the fated enemy of your organization. Yet you still entrust me with this task... Why?"

Kei blinked a couple of times at Rei, as though surprised by Rei's question.

"Isn't it obvious? Because you're a member of the SSS2. That's why I trust you."

This time, it was Rei's turn to be surprised by Kei's choice of words.

"... Merely that?"

"For what other reason do I need? You wear the SSS2 uniform, you are not attacking me or Saya and you healed us. You may be an NPC, Katsuragi, but you are also part of this organization... Heh, maybe that's just me. Let me tell you an interesting story, Katsuragi."

Kei said, closing his eyes as he spoke.

"I was once an outsider to the very concept of trust. I treated everyone whom I did not know as an enemy, and I even treated those who were close to me with suspicion. Betrayed from young, I grew up with nothing hate, contempt, and despair. I forced my way upon those around me because I rejected everything else. But... that wasn't the answer, Katsuragi. Humans are social creatures by nature. No one can escape that rule. Because of that, I was alone. All alone with no one to cover my back when I needed it most. I paid for my mistake with my life, and here, I plan to make sure no one gets left out... If the SSS2 isolates you, Katsuragi, then know that at least I will stand by your side."

Rei simple stood there, surprised by Kei's words. But then, he smiled and nodded.

"Ah... thanks, senpai. I'll go first."

Rei said, turning to go.

"Will you be alright by yourself?"

Kei asked, to which Rei merely smiled.

"I have my methods."

Rei said as he walked off, leaving Kei alone with the recovering Saya. Kei merely smiled and closed his eyes to rest once more.

"... Kurogane-san... I can see why you believe in him. It is just as you said, if there is one person who is able to get rid of the madness of our beloved organization... It is sure to be him. Heh, who knew that the one to end us would be an NPC."

* * *

A/N: HA HA HA! CURVE BALL! Bet none of you thought of that answer, right? While waiting for new chapters, why don't you read some of my other stories? No, I'm not advertising... or maybe I am. Still, it seems that my White Knights story is gaining quite a few fans... maybe I should restart that story after this... or after the side stories... or along side the side stories... I'm lost.


	32. Chapter 32

A/N: Sorry for the delay guys. Just finished a mighty large project at work and I was really tired after that. I still have more projects to do at work but for now, I'll rest and focus on this story.

Was the curve ball too much? Though I threw in hints throughout the story that Katsuragi was something other than human, I guess I also threw in too many other confusing things to cover it up... I tend to do that.

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 32_

_My Fang_

There are many things that Kusanagi Yamato was unsure of. It could be due to her upbringing that resulted in her brain being unable to figure out a lot of things. She could blame it on her father, a war maniac whose philosophy was to always just charge forward in everything he does, or she could blame it on her mother, a kind woman who just lets everything that goes wrong be blamed on herself. Her life was not one that was comfortable, happy or even possible to call it a 'life'. Her father was a war otaku who went off to chase delusional fantasy dreams after he was retrenched from work while her mother worked two jobs as a fast food cashier and a convenience store clerk just to support her father's whimsical wishes.

Her mother was too soft, too loving. Not too sure why or how she can stay in love with a useless man. Even with her mother's collapse from exhaustion only pushed her useless father deeper into his obsession, his delusions becoming grander. In his mad delusions, he took his own life... together with her mother's. An explosive device detonated in her mother's hospital room. Yamato wasn't there at that time since she was getting an extra shift at her part time job at a family restaurant just to pay off the hospital bills. Yamato was all alone. She had no relatives, no friends to count on, she was lost. She thought of ending her life then... but she was afraid, couldn't go through it. No matter what had happened, she wanted to live. Fate... however, was not so kind.

"Kusanagi!"

She looked up, seeing the young man taking cover behind a pillar support, blood trickling down the side of his face from a wound on his head.

"We're being pinned down!"

He shouted, wincing at a stray bullet chipped off a part of the pillar he was hiding behind.

"... Pinned down."

She muttered to herself. How many times has she gotten herself cornered? She lost count already. She looked down the tunnel from the direction they came from. She led this small group down the tunnels far enough. But then they encountered a large group of Type D Angels. They ran for cover but they had already lost two to the storm of bullets. She looked at the rifle in her hand that she picked up from one of the fallen members. Her shotgun had long since been tossed aside, no longer having any ammunition thus it was merely dead weight. Pity, she really liked that shotgun.

"Kusanagi! We need to do something!"

The young man shouted once more. Yamato sighed, leaning her head back against the wall. Why did she had to think of her past? It was really pointless. Tomoyo told her once that sometimes, when a person is pushed closer to their limit, their mind would tend to drift off to whatever weird dreams they have. Most of the time, it would be their past. Some sort of way to distract themselves from reality. Well... some distraction that was. It wasn't something she wanted to see again.

"Kusanagi!"

Her eyes slowly opened. Her breathing was slow. Her heart beat thumped hard and slow against her chest. The sounds of gun fire, screams and explosions seem to be dulled. A slight ringing sound was all she could hear. Her hand brought her rifle up. Every crevice, ever scratch seemed so clear to her. Each speck of dust was like a whole new world in her eyes.

"... Death... has never been so close."

She muttered, before swinging around her cover. Before her, twenty Type D Angels, each carrying rifles and guns stolen off the bodies of fallen SSS2 soldiers. Without a pause, Yamato's finger squeezed on the trigger. The rifle blasted a round and chambered another one before firing that as well. Everything seemed so slow. Everything seemed to happen like a movie. Yamato's slow but steady steps forward as she emptied round after round from her magazine. She did not stop, did not pause, did not blink. Her shots were true, felling each Angel with at least two rounds in each. Her rifle clicked as her rounds ran out. Two Angels left. Her hands let the rifle go. It seemed to drop down to the ground so slowly. Her body twisted itself, bringing her heel in an arc, kicking the falling rifle and sending it flying at one of the remaining Angels.

Her hand reached for her pistol holster strapped to the lower part of her back, pulling it out the same time as the kick. She raised the pistol, aiming at the head of the other Angel before pulling the trigger. Once. Twice. Thrice. She next aimed at the Angel who was hit with the rifle. One shot. He was down for the count. Yamato exhaled, her heart beat going back to normal. Her hearing now able to make out the fighting further down the tunnel. Every feeling in her body went slightly numb. But for now, it was over. Yamato sighed, sweeping her bangs from her eyes. The other SSS2 members stepped out of their hiding places and slowly walked over to her, making sure to watch their step on this bloody field of corpses.

"Kusanagi, you-"

One of the SSS2 guys wanted to ask but Yamato raised a hand and stopped his words.

"... Don't."

She muttered, bending down and picking up a spare rifle from the floor. She checked its ammunition and took some spare magazines. The others did the same, scavenging anything they can find off the bodies. Yamato did not need to take that many things since it was her style to be fast and light. She used the time it took the others to scavenge what they need to rest. Over-clocking. The after-effects were quite... unique. It was both mentally and physically exhausting to use it. Now everything feels so heavy and fast for her. Her senses were dulled from overuse.

It would take some time to recover but Yamato knew that they did have the luxury to afford such time. But for now, she will take she has. Her thoughts went back to her life before this. While it wasn't exactly an easy-going life, it was still Worlds apart from this. She wondered what would happen if her family didn't fall apart like it did. Everyone here had their own pain, their own sorrow. But... their sorrows were never the same. How she feel in someone else's shoes? Though her life was in a mess, some others had a life far worse.

"..."

That reminded her that she did not ask Katsuragi about his past. Then again, she knew that he was suffering from amnesia so getting an answer from him would be impossible. But... she wondered just how it would be for him. She would not know if she would ever see him again though, with this crazy war going on. Maybe he had already been...

"No, no, no. Think positive."

She muttered to herself, shaking all negative thoughts from her mind. She will meet him again. Katsuragi always had a way of surviving through everything. Their recruitment days proved that. Katsuragi was observant, resourceful and had an impossible amount of luck. Almost... Godly luck.

"Kusanagi, we're done."

The young boy reported. She looked over to the others, seeing that they had gathered what supplies they could find. Scavenging through the bodies of both friend and foe alike, blood smeared all over their selves, they had seen a lot in the past few hours since this hell began. Even those that Kusanagi knew were usually squimish about blood, guts and gore splattered all over were now focused on surviving. They all were. Their eyes all held that distant glossy look, the one that told Yamato that they were all beyond their normal selves. In this place far detached from reality, they were no longer human but something more. Or something less.

"... Let's move on."

She said, turning and leading the way down the tunnel. The trek was slow as several members of her group were injured. They will heal with time but it was best not to rush them at this point. Not only that but these tunnels were treacherous. Multiple branching off tunnels could hide enemies ready to strike an ambush on them. Yamato decided that it was best to take it slow. Peering around a corner, Yamato made sure that there were no dangers before signalling the group to continue. Everywhere they walked in these tunnels there were bodies. Bodies of Angels, bodies of the SSS2. It was the same for every single tunnel. The entire place was littered with bodies and at times the group were forced to even step on the bodies as there wasn't a single spot of visible ground left. But the group remained strong, at least on the outside.

They pushed on, continuing their way down the tunnel but after a while, Yamato started to notice something odd. After that last battle, they had no met a single enemy since then. Considering that they had walked down this tunnel for more than fifteen minutes, it was oddly disturbing. It seemed that the others in the group were starting to be aware of this fact, every small sound caught their attention. They were getting jumpy. After facing death in the face for so long, they were uncomfortable with relative peace. Yamato was no exception. She was starting to feel jumpy. She looked down to her watch. She can only utilize 'Over-clocking' after five more minutes. Her own limits forced a resting period of one hour between each use.

Her actual usage time of the skill itself was only limited to ten minutes each time. That was the limit Tomoyo put on her. She wasn't sure what Tomoyo actually did, but whenever she tried to push herself beyond the ten minutes, her entire body would force itself out of 'over-clocking' mode. That usually came in the form of an extremely large headache. Thus far Yamato had not tried to push herself beyond that mode, though the implications would most likely be severe. Tomoyo was a hidden sadist, after all. If an enemy were to attack them now, Yamato would be unsure on how they would fare. But...

"... Hold."

Yamato raised a clenched fist, signalling the rest to stop. Yamato knelt down, inspecting one of the bodies. She touched the wound on the Angel. It was still fresh. Not only that, but the wound was different from the usual type of wound inflicted by SSS2 weapons. These wounds were more like... an Angel's weapon?

"Internal fighting?"

Yamato pondered, though that possibility was nil. Angels acted in accordance with their program. If the program ordered them to do something, they would do so without question. So what caused this wound? And just what happened here?

"Is something wrong?"

One of the SSS2 members asked. Yamato shook her head.

"No, it's nothing."

She said, deciding that telling the others would only cause unnecessary worry and confusion.

"We're almost at old Guild. Move cautiously. I don't want any slip-ups at this stage of our fight."

She warned the others. They all nodded in agreement. Yamato got back up to her feet and continued on. It was the same everywhere she went, the bodies on the Angels were fresher than those on the SSS2 bodies, and their wounds were odd. Too odd. Thinking about it only made Yamato feel slightly confused herself. Whatever happened here was troubling, but unless it affects her directly, she would not bother with it. The group reached Old Guild without encountering anything new, stepping into a rather untouched Guild. Everything around them seemed normal for Guild, as though the enemy had completely ignored this area altogether.

"... Look for supplies, stock-up and check for survivors."

Yamato ordered and the group dispersed, carrying about their orders. Yamato walked over to the furnace where Musashi was suppose to be. The resident self-proclaimed master blacksmith of the SSS2 was missing from his forge, but on his work bench was a large object wrapped in cloth. On the cloth was a simple note with the words 'For Kusanagi Yamato' written on it. Yamato felt slightly cautious about such a large object in Guild being addressed to her for mainly one reason. THIS IS GUILD. THIS IS YUUKO'S TERRITORY. THAT HIMURA YUUKO. Anything in here was considered extremely volatile and could explode at any moment. But... This was no time for hesitation. She needed power, she needed strength. What Tomoyo had taught her was strong within her heart, that power was a double edged tool. That those who desire only power would only seek their own ruin. That if she focused too much on her goal she would fail to see the reason why she desired it in the first place. But...

"But... I need it."

She muttered to herself.

"I'm sorry, Tomoyo-senpai."

Yamato reached out and pulled the cloth aside, revealing a large weapon. It was a weapon though not in the normal form as one would expect. It was long, thick and hexagon in shape. Made of two sections, the first section being the longer of the two. Measuring at 1.5 metres long, it had a long spike attached at its end and had a handle with a trigger attached down the side. The second section, which was nearly half a metre long and being slightly thicker than the longer section, consisted of a pedal attached to a long track and extendible spikes at the end to act as anchors. Without even being told about it, Yamato knew what it was.

"... Getsuga... Ten-gan."

Yamato muttered its name which was inscribed along the side of the barrel. It was a cannon. A simple cannon that utilizes Yamato's strength in her legs and arms. It also suited her fighting style going loud and big. Yamato picked up the weapon and was very surprised to find that it was relatively light for something of its size.

"Kyaa!"

A scream alerted Yamato, as well as the rest in the room. Yamato grabbed her new weapon as well as a bullet belt that contained the large cannon shells for her weapon before rushing out with the rest. Upon exiting old Guild, they spotted two Guild members being cornered by a group of Angels. Type D Angels were less dangerous than other Angels, but they were still more dangerous than your average Shadow.

"I'll draw their attention, the rest of your secure those two Guild members!"

Yamato shouted.

**" "Understood!" "**

The group responded in unison, getting their position as Yamato reached for her first shell. Her weapon snapped open at the split sections and she slammed the first shell into the longer section before snapping the two sections back. The rear section's extendible spikes shot out and buried themselves into the ground as she aimed her cannon. Raising a leg, she slammed her boot into the pedal at the rear section. The pedal was connected to the striker, and upon pressing the trigger, the pedal would spring forward, hitting the ignition point on the cannon shell, which would lead to a-

**BOOM**

The cannon nearly flew out of Yamato's hands when it fired the round. The impact of the shot shook the ground itself and the round exploded near one of the Angels, scattering the enemies and giving the SSS2 time to get in and rescue the trapped survivors. Yamato snapped open her cannon and the empty shell fell out, hitting the ground with a loud thump. Without pause, she reached for her belt and pulled out another shell, slotting it into her cannon and getting ready for the next shot. She aimed her next shot and slammed her boot against the pedal once more, pressing the trigger to fire another round.

**BOOM**

The second round impacted right on an Angel, causing bits and pieces of flesh and organs to fly about. Not a pretty sight. By now, the remaining Angels were back on their feet and charged straight at Yamato. But Yamato merely smiled.

"... This isn't only a long-range weapon."

She said as she lifted the cannon up. Using her strength, she swung the cannon forward, using the spike at the front to ram straight into an Angel, piercing through her. Yamato swung her weapon at a second Angel, but this Angel managed to put up a small shield, causing the spike to stop a mere inch away from its target. But this was no ordinary spike. Yamato twisted the handle and pressed the trigger. This caused a backwards ignition, sending all of the shell's fire-power into thrust as well as causing the spike to sent shock waves. The cannon was now a pile bunker. Rather than using one shell per shot as a cannon, this pile bunker was able to harness the shell's explosive energy into ten thrust shots.

Using just merely two thrust shots was enough to pierce the weak shield of the Angel and a third thrust shot finished him off. Yamato snapped the handle in a different direction ninety degrees backwards and switched hands. She snapped the pedal sideways, revealing a second trigger. She reached for her back, where she kept a rifle magazine clipped to her belt, taking it out and slotting it into the hole that was used to vent excess gas while it was in cannon form. The magazine snapped into place perfectly and she aimed the weapon at the remaining Angels. She held down the trigger and the weapon spewed forth a hail of bullets. Now her cannon was a gatling gun. Mowing down the rest of the Angels, the magazine ejected itself out automatically once done and Yamato snapped the handle and pedals back into place, placing her weapon standing up on the ground as she turned to the others.

"Are you all alright?"

She asked to awed group. It took them a while to snap back to reality and they all nodded in reply. Who wouldn't be shocked by what they just saw? Yamato's weapon was a machine of death, and it was sure powerful. But... was this what Yamato was seeking? Somehow, though it was power that she needed, she felt empty. Perhaps what Tomoyo said was true. Maybe power wasn't what she really needed. The power of this World.

"A-ano... thank you for saving us."

Yamato turned and saw the two Guild members bowing their heads to her in thanks.

"It's fine. But are the two of you alright?"

"W-we're fine!"

The girls replied quickly before Yamato could reach out for them.

"I see... But what happened here? Why are the two of you here?"

Yamato asked. The two girls looked at each other, somewhat conflicted on how to explain the situation. They then turned to her, deciding that it would be best to tell Yamato everything.

"Guild was attacked nearly five hours ago. The Boss ordered a mass evacuation of Old Guild to fall back to Big Site. However the enemy broke through Shield's defences and attacked Old Guild. We were forced to abandon everything and those who were too late for the last rail-car were forced to hide in the Runner's base. The two of us were tasked by Shinobu-sama to investigate what was happening outside and to see if the fighting had subsided."

Fighting? Why would they need to check if the fighting was done? Normally, if the SSS2 had managed to drive away the enemy, their first objective would be to search for survivors in the area followed by securing the entire area. Why would the Runners' hideout be missed?

"At first, we knew that the SSS2 had probably fallen back as we could not hear any more fighting outside. But we suddenly heard more fighting so Shinobu-sama thought it was an attempt by Shield to retake old Guild, unfortunately that wasn't the case."

The girls explained. So Shield did not attempt to fight back? They had completely fallen back to Big Site then. But if that were true, then what happened here? Just who fought against the Angels and Shadows in Old Guild?

"But, what are all of you doing down here? We all thought that Guild was completely isolated and abandoned by above."

One of the girls asked.

"Ah! Maybe the fighting above is already finished and you're here to help us?"

The other girl asked excitedly. The group all looked away, unable to meet eye-to-eye with such enthusiasm when they all knew the dark truth. They weren't any back-up. They were all trying to survive on their own.

"I'm sorry to tell you this, but the fighting above ground is far worse."

Yamato said, breaking the news to the girls, whose excited expressions immediately dropped back in despair.

"I-i see..."

"We came down for weapons and supplies, and also possibly link up with any remaining SSS2 members."

Yamato explained, trying to change the mood for the better.

"Hmm, in that case, you might want to speak to Shinobu-sama. She's been organizing the Runners to stock up on all supplies and weapons for one last push to join back with Big Site."

Shinobu. Senjougahara Shinobu. Yamato had not met the mysterious dual leader of the Runners and the Raiders (provision squad), but she had heard stories. The dark vampire, the blood sucker, the ram. Shinobu had just as many nicknames as Kurogane Kou has but Shinobu was a figure rarely seen by others outside of her own squad. Yamato had no idea what sort of person Shinobu was, but if that was how it was going to be, then that would be what she had to do.

"... Lead on."

The girls led Yamato and the group out of old Guild and headed in the direction of the rail-car station. As the girls had said before, all of the rail-cars were gone. Walking through those tunnels was almost a death sentence has no one really knew the entire lay-out of these rail tracks. Which begs the question, why would the person who built them (Yuuko), not know where they lead? Past the cargo docking bay area was a large mountain of cargo containers. Walking over to one in particular, the girl knocked on it in a sequential manner and the container opened up like a door. The girls led the way inside and once Yamato stepped through, she saw what the SSS2 had become.

In the main hall of the Runners base were all of the injured. With the amount of people injured, there was barely enough room for the medics who were present to run back and forth with bandages and medical supplies. Injured Shield members who stood by the door had vigilant, but weary eyes. They were all tired, frightened and losing hope. They seemed to gained back some life when they saw Yamato and the others step through, but it wasn't enough to completely re energise them. Leading them through another two more rooms filled with more injured and wounded, the group finally reached the main door to Shinobu's office. The girls knocked on the door before opening it. They gestured for Yamato to enter. Yamato looked to the group and nodded to them before entering the office without the group. For now, they will lend whatever first aid items they have to the Runners while Yamato talks with the Runners' leader.

The office of Senjougahara Shinobu was plain, though that was the truth it was also quite wrong. It was plain in the fact that it was small, had only one desk covered with documents, one long sofa with a pillow and blanket on it and one book shelf. It wasn't plain when accounting that the entire room was littered with drink packets. A mountain of those drink packets lay at the side of the desk while the rest of the room was covered with finished packets, drained of their contents. Sitting behind the desk, a straw poked through a drink packet in her mouth was a small blonde girl. The girl had a pair of goggles dangling around her neck and had a weary and stressed out expression. The eye bags under her eyes showed that she hasn't gotten any sleep recently.

"Hm? Who are you?"

The girl asked, her voice hoarse and her eyes barely looking at Yamato.

"I am corporal Kusanagi Yamato of the sixth division. My group and I came down to Guild in order to meet up with any remaining SSS2 personnel left."

Yamato spoke straight-to-the-point. Shinobu leaned back in her chair, studying Yamato for the while.

"You fought your way down here?"

She asked, to which Yamato nodded. That made Shinobu's eyes slightly more alert.

"Yes, we did. I hear that you are planning an evacuation of your men to Big Site, am I right?"

"Ah, that's right. But there are a few problems with my plan."

Shinobu said, getting up from her seat. She drained her current drink packet dry and tossed it aside, picking up a fresh packet and poking it with the same straw in her mouth. For some reason, she seemed to gain renewed vigour by drinking a fresh packet.

"Is transport your problem?"

Yamato asked. Shinobu raised an eyebrow at Yamato's question, before laughing.

"Transport? Ha! No. My problem isn't transport. I am the leader of the runners! Transport is probably the ONLY thing I have in excess! No, what I lack are able bodied personnel. I don't know what sort of weaponry the enemy uses now, but our dead are not reviving and wounds are not healing by themselves as quickly as they should be. I need people who can fight to guard over my people as they load the wounded and supplies into our transports, after that, leave the rest to us."

Shinobu smirked as she drained the new packet of its contents. Crushing the packet with her fist, Shinobu stormed out of her office, alerting all within the Runner's base. Some noticed their leader's renewed vigour and staggered to their feet, they themselves being empowered by their leaders will.

"Attention all Runners, Raiders and survivors!"

Shinobu's voice boomed throughout the entire hall.

"We have ourselves a clear opportunity before us! Our path is clear and our goal is right before us! All hands, commence Operation: Exodus!"

A massive cheer echoed around the hall as the SSS2 suddenly found renewed strength. Raiders rushed to prepare the crates of supplies whilst the Runners move the readied crates out of the hall. Shield members took up their arms once more and rushed out of the halls to escort the Runners. Even the injured got their feet and helped in the process. Yamato's group walked over to her, awaiting for her instructions.

"Head outside and guard the Runners while they prepare the transports."

Yamato instructed them and they all nodded, rushing off with their orders.

"... How reliable are your transports?"

Yamato asked Shinobu, seeing as how they were going to traverse the deep tunnels of Guild. Shinobu merely snorted at that question, walking over to one large towering object covered by a large piece of cloth. With a single jerk, the cloth slid off the object, revealing a large military grade truck.

"This is the boss's specialized five-tonner, the best vehicle that she ever made. Never blew up and can withstand more than five rocket launchers at point-blank range. This is the true work-horse of our Guild and it has been with us since the beginning. With this, we guarantee that you will reach your destination no matter what. You may not be in one piece though, but that's a separate story."

To Yamato, that really wasn't a separate story. And what was that she said? No guarantees on reaching there in one piece? That's suicide.

"Hmph, what's this, a Guardian is backing out from a little roller coaster ride?"

Shinobu smirked, making Yamato snap a nerve.

"... We will take this ride, no matter what."

* * *

A/N: Yamato's weapon is the most all-rounder. At first I envisioned it to be a mere step-cannon, but it later grew into something more to suit Yamato's personality. A Five-tonner is a military truck used to transport troops and supplies. Not sure what they call it elsewhere but in my country, they are called in accordance to their weight.


	33. Chapter 33

A/N Sorry for the delay, I was having too much fun brainstorming for the side stories. Brainstorming, mind you, I have to sort through the garbage that I wrote down in order to filter out those that are acceptable to be written down and those that are just utter... rubbish. This chapter isn't really that interesting, but I guess it is necessary.

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 33_

_Conviction_

Three hours before

Number 00, Katsuragi Rei, had a lot of time to think about things as he walked along the tunnels of Guild. A lot of things that included about himself. While he had accepted the ultimate truth of his existence, he still had doubts about it. It all came so fast that not all of his mind had fully accepted it. Maybe it was best to get Otonashi to take a look at his programming once this was all over. All over? Now that he thought about it, what was going to happen once this was all over? Would he still be part of the SSS2? Or would he return to Otonashi's side?

His two 'siblings', Amatsukai Ichigo and Amagami Futayo, were the reason behind this large scale war but they weren't behind the creation of Shadows. They were, however, responsible for the creation of Angels. They are the cause behind the 'abnormality' that occurred in the Angel Program five years ago that resulted in the Battle of Big Site. Not that he should be the one to say it, since he himself was the cause of the abnormality when he first came here. It felt odd to consider himself as an abnormality.

He hated that word. Made every circuit, every byte in his body itch with irritation. Ever since he remembered his past and his role as an NPC, Rei became rather conflicted with himself. His body was of an NPCs, but he still had a human's soul (Kurogane Kei) within him. Not to mention his mind was still torn into half, one bit as his old NPC self and the other as his human self, an 'alter ego' so to speak. In other words, Katsuragi Rei was like a piece of jigsaw with pieces that never fitted with one another yet somehow or rather still managed to work together and create a picture. He really needed to talk to Otonashi about this.

Speaking of which, where did his eccentric creator run off to? Eccentric was a rather vague term to use to describe Otonashi but it more or less described him as a whole. As Katsuragi mulled over his own confusing facts about himself, he seemed to have failed to realize that he had just walked into a group of Angels. The said Angels noticed this oddity walking into their rankings with his arms crossed and muttering incoherent things to no one in particular. Oddity was something they would use to describe something that they had some hard time to determine its relation to their current programming. Katsuragi, as it so happens, was registered as both an NPC and as a SSS2 (enemy). In such times, the priority command would take over and instruct them on one thing.

"Enemy confirmed. Eliminate target."

The Angels all charged straight for Rei, who was still somewhat lost in his own World. Rei, however, was no ordinary messed up mishmash jigsaw of an NPC/human. He was a messed up mishmash jigsaw of an NPC/human with administrative rights in the Afterlife. In one were to describe what administrative rights were, it would be troublesome to describe the intricate details of what a computer program does and how only administrators of the computer would be able to alter its finer details or to access information that would normally be inaccessible to normal users.

In a simple form, however, having administrative rights to a World with rules like a Computer, much like this Afterlife, would be somewhat comparing it to God. And so what can God do in this case? Well, a lot of things. He is, after all, God. But God does not exist in the Afterlife. There is only one NPC by the name of Katsuragi Rei. Before the attacks could connect with him, Rei disappeared completely. This resulted in the Angels' attacks simply hitting nothing but air. Perplexed, the Angels all looked around in confusion. Rei then appeared behind one of the Angels, placing a hand against the back of the NPC.

"... Begone."

Rei muttered. A sudden blast from Rei's hand exploded, sending the Angel flying into the air and crashing into another Angel. Rei disappeared again, reappearing right in front of another Angel and grabbed the NPC by the face.

"... Corrupted beyond repair... Delete."

At Rei's command, the Angel slowly started to dissipate, his body disintegrating into pixels and then nothingness. This... This was the power of the Angels of Type A and above. It was a horrible feeling for Rei, destroying his own 'siblings', so to speak. A dark cold feeling spread out throughout his entire existence yet... it was somewhat warm... addictive. Rei shook his head, getting rid of the thought. It was the corruption that was messing with his mind. So it was even beginning to corrupt his core, despite it being isolated from the rest of the system. But Rei had no time to mull over such things as the remaining Angels managed to regroup and go in for another attack. Rei lifted his hand into the air and muttered,

"Defence skill: Time Warp."

From his hand a strange shimmering object expanded rapidly, creating a giant sphere around him and engulfing his attackers. The moment an attacker entered this sphere, they were slowed down in movement and soon they froze. Even if they were in mid air, they still froze in place. Rei had effectively stopped time. This was the administrative power. This was the power of an EX type Angel. But it had its own problems. In order for this program to work, it must also access the main system as well as the cores of every single NPC which enters its domain, meaning...

"Ugh!"

Rei clutched his chest as a burning sensation started to seep into him. Darkness, hatred, despair. The corruption, the madness, the insanity. Because of this skill, Rei would be three times more susceptible to the corruption if any were present and it seemed that some of these Angels were corrupted. So much was this madness getting to him that Rei was forced to cancel the skill, releasing the time-frozen Angels which also meant that their attacks were going to hit Rei. Rei had no other way to defend himself, the corruption inhibiting his movements.

"Get down!"

A voice shouted just as daggers flew out, piercing the Angels and averting the attacks away from Rei. Rei looked up and saw a familiar face, one he was surprised but glad to see.

"Saya!"

The tired and stressed out face of the Assault division member was a blessing to Rei. Following right behind Saya was Second Lieutenant Kai who went over and helped Rei to his feet.

"Are you alright?"

Kai asked, to which Rei nodded.

"Y-yeah. I was just being careless."

"Careless? An NPC like you should not even use that word."

Saya said, walking over with her guns drawn, emitting a presence of pure hatred.

"Saya-kun, I told you that Katsuragi is not our enemy-"

"Shut it."

Saya snapped, raising her gun to Katsuragi's head. This made Kai extremely worried but he was supporting Rei's weight, therefore unable to stop Saya. Rei, on the other hand, merely smiled.

"And what do you plan to do with your gun to my head?"

He asked. Saya narrowed her eyes at Rei, clearly angry at him.

"... I am a member of Edge... the shock troopers of the Assault Division of this proud SSS2. I must kill all of our enemies."

"Saya!"

Kai shouted at Saya, but to no avail.

**BANG**

Saya pulled the trigger, her gun smoking in her hand... And an Angel behind Rei falling dead with a gunshot to the head.

"But... I would not be able to consider myself human if I dismiss those I call 'friends'... even if they are different from what they seem."

Saya sighed, putting down her gun.

"Saya..."

"Don't get me wrong. This is also to repay you for rescuing me."

Saya added sternly, turning the other way. Rei merely smiled, reaching out and patting her on her head, making her jump a little as he gently rubbed her head.

"Yeah... thanks. You did a good job."

Rei smiled. Saya did not do anything but Rei could see that she was trembling slightly.

"... Idiot."

Was all she muttered.

"Alright, now that we've regrouped, what are our plans?"

Kai asked. Rei turned and looked back down the tunnel.

"There are a lot of enemies between us and Guild."

Rei commented, getting off the support from Kai.

"So what do you suggest? Try to find reinforcements?"

"... Not exactly."

Rei smirked. He slowly walked over to one of the fallen NPCs and placed a hand on the body.

"Hmm... The corruption has not seeped all the way down to the core. Good."

Rei smiled, nodding to no one in particular.

"Access system override. Code 0000000."

.

.

.

System override confirm

"Application installation. Program 05Xfv145a. Initiate."

.

.

.

Installing

.

.

.

Program installed

Reboot system? Y/N

"Yes."

Rei lifted his hand off the body and stood back. The Angel's wounds slowly healed back and his eyes opened, sitting up straight and causing Saya and Kai to reach for their weapons but Rei stopped them. He looked straight at the Angel, who stood up and stared blankly at Rei.

"Do you understand who am I?"

Rei asked the Angel, who nodded.

"You are the administrator."

"Good. What are you current directives?"

"Current directives are as follows. 1) To follow administrator's commands 2) To Ensure the rescue and survival of any SSS2 personnel 3) To eradicate any corrupted Data."

The Angel answered back with a sort of friendly tone, which was rather creepy for Saya and Kai, but with this Rei had his plan all set.

"If we cannot fight while being outnumbered-"

Rei said, bending down and applying the same thing to another Angel.

"-Then we will just have to make sure we outnumber them."

Rei smirked as the second Angel got to her feet.

* * *

With an army of Angels with them, Saya and Kai felt rather odd as they made their way down towards Guild. Sure, these Angels would not attack them and would more or less sacrifice their existences to make sure they survived, but somehow it all felt... wrong. Katsuragi Rei assured them that once this was all over he would revert their original programming and personalities back though that was really the point. The point was that these were their former enemies besides being souless-beings-made-from-human-darkness-and-functions-like-a-robot-besides-looking-exactly-like-a-human-being. And with each new batch of enemies they meet, Katsuragi would convert more of them, meaning that their numbers would never decrease. At least not by a whole lot.

"It seems like the enemy has been able to change the composition of their weapons."

Rei muttered, squatting down to examine one of the latest Angel's sword. He gingerly traced a finger along its blade and immediately pulled his hand back like the blade was extremely hot. He looked at his hand and noticed a little bit of black substance on, spreading slightly. He shook his hand and the black substance dissipated.

"... Black Essence. They are getting smarter."

Rei said, getting up to his feet.

"So? What did you find?"

Kai asked, unsure of what Katsuragi was actually looking at.

"The enemy has started to make use of Black Essences either as coatings or as the very foundation of their weapons. As you know, Black Essences have the strongest ability to kill, meaning if one of us, including humans, gets attack by one of these weapons, they would either take a very long time to heal... or never wake up at all."

"T-that's impossible!"

Saya shouted.

"No, not impossible. The Black Essences in the weapons used by the SSS2 have the same properties, able to completely erase an NPC from this World until the system reboots the back-up data. But since humans do not have the same type of back-up system as NPCs, the recovery period is very much different or impossible all together."

Rei explained before looking down at the Angel who wielded that weapon.

"It would be hard for me to convert those NPCs who use these weapons as they have to be configured from the core to use such corrupted weapons. Looks like we need to erase this one."

Rei nodded to several other NPCs who stepped forward to erase the NPCs by means of-

"... Are those grenades?"

Saya asked. To which Rei merely smiled.

"Bingo."

**BOOM**

All that was left of the Angel was a large crater.

"Sadly there isn't any other better way to restart the core without getting my hands dirty with the corruption."

Rei muttered, sounding almost like an upper-class woman who doesn't like to get her hands dirty. In a strange way, Rei was starting to act different after he realized that he was an NPC.

"Hm? Oh, it must be the soul that I'm housing in me. Though my creator assured me that there wasn't going to be any personality changes, he can be wrong from time to time."

Rei muttered.

"Soul?"

Kai wondered.

"Yes. Though I am an NPC, as you would call me, I do house a human soul. While it is to help me enter the SSS2 by masking my presence as an NPC, it is also the root cause of my... distinct personality and thought-processing."

Rei explained, though that wasn't really helpful as both Saya and Kai were still confused.

"... Imagine a cyborg."

Rei tried to use this other way of explaining

"Oh! I see! Like a tank, right? Outside is metal but driving it is human."

Saya said excitedly. A tank would not be so accurate. But maybe somewhere along those lines. Still, what sort of girl would use things like a tank as an allegory?

"Anyway, back to this soul. It seems like from time to time, I take on the personality of its original host. Sometimes it just gets irritating."

Rei muttered, having a complete character change. It was almost like talking to a completely different person altogether. Maybe split personality?

"If it is awkward for the two of you, I can change it."

Change? Change what? Your personality? You can't just switch your personality just like that! Even as a computer program you can't just switch it on/off like some light switch! What are you, a host club member who can change his character to suit which ever woman he is wooing at the moment? This was a masterful art of the gigolo

"No no... t-there's no need to change it, r-right?"

Kai looked nervously to Saya who wasn't very paying attention.

"H-huh? Er... sure."

Saya simply said. Rei raised an eyebrow at their awkward answers, but let it slide.

"Anyway, back to our main problem. Since the enemy has started to use these new weapons, the number of allies I can convert are limited and few. This is rather troubling."

Rei muttered, rubbing his chin in thought.

"So what do we do? Simply defeat them as per normal?"

Kai asked, to which Rei shook his head in disagreement.

"No. Doing like we've been doing before will only lead us to more danger. It is hard to know what sort of weapon the enemy uses, so it would be best to simply aim to destroy them completely. I will deal with those that I think are not corrupted."

"... You 'think'?"

Saya pondered on that word that Rei used.

"Yes, 'think'. What, you think that simply because I'm not human that I'm incapable of rational thought? That I don't need time to actually formulate my plans? That I am always a 100% sure? You have got to be joking, even an idiot wouldn't think that."

Rei shot back, which Saya did not take kindly to, having a nerve snap.

"Ehh? For a mere bunch of pixels, you sure act like some big-shot. Only hours ago you were wailing about like one of us 'frail' humans."

"Only hours ago, I really thought I WAS one of you 'frail' humans."

With lightning and fire shooting out of their eyes at one another, Kai wondered if it was a good idea for him to intervene. He certainly did not want to die so maybe he should just leave the two be. While he let the two bicker it out, Kai looked on down the tunnel. It wasn't much further to Guild. The number of enemy encounters had only been on a rise, which led Kai to confirm his worst suspicions, that Guild was completely overrun. If he knew Yuuko, which unfortunately he did, she would have retreated back into Big Site.

Ever since the battle of Big Site more than five years ago, there has only been one way in or out of Big Site. It was both perfect for defending... and also a death trap. But Big Site has enough supplies and stockpiles to last a two year siege with maximum capacity of people. Big Site would not fall that easily. Not when Yuuko was around. There was no one in this World that loved Guild and Big Site more than Yuuko. In fact, it would not be an exaggeration to say that Guild and Big Site ARE part of Yuuko. Yuuko would never fall as long as Guild was around and vice versa. While it was good against their enemies, it also made things complicated for Rei and his group.

Kai knew that Rei sought to end the madness of the SSS2, to let everyone pass on without regrets or suffering. Rei was doing his job as an NPC, to absorb their darkness and let them leave this World in peace. But such madness was a double edged sword. As Kai could see, NPCs who were corrupted too much would end up being Shadows or worse, Angels. Rei himself had to have a limit. And since Yuuko will not fall as long as Guild was around, it would mean that Yuuko was connected to a large portion of madness that was the SSS2. That large part of the darkness was within Yuuko, the one who represents Greed. Were they going to fight someone so powerful from the get-go?

"Don't worry about Yuuko."

Rei's voice suddenly broke Kai's thoughts. Turning around he saw that Rei and Saya had stopped arguing and were both facing him.

"Don't worry?"

"I don't plan to fight her yet. For now, we have to deal with the problem of my two 'siblings'. We can worry about the SSS2 later."

Rei assured him and Saya nodded in agreement.

"If that wasn't the plan, would I have stopped in shooting a few rounds in this guy's head?"

Saya quizzed with a sort of sadistic smile on her face. An evil, yet rare, smile. Kai blinked at the two of them, before sighing with a smile.

"I just can't beat you guys any more. And to think, I was the teacher not too long ago."

Kai muttered before looking back down towards Guild's tunnel.

"Right then, let's go."


	34. Chapter 34

A/N: Sorry for the previous chapter, not so much action and frankly, I did not think it was really necessary but what the heck. It has some uses for plot devices. I would like to remind the readers that I use British English, not American, for my writing.

We're starting to move into the battles so if I forget to explain something before I go full swing with the battles, well... sorry in advance.

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 34_

_Gears in Motion_

_Meanwhile_

She blinked. Once, twice, a few more times. Where was this place? She looked around and saw nothing but white. Was this even a room? She looked down and saw that while her feet seemed to be on some sort of flat ground, she did not cast any shadow. She did not even know if she was standing on a floor in the first place. In first place, how did she end up here? She closed her eyes to think. Sakurai Yuri. That is her name. Her past name was Nakajima Yuri. She may have had many past lives but at this moment only these two lives were important. After all, the previous lives of being a barnacle or a sea cucumber did not really matter in this case. But in the first place, since when was she ever a barnacle or a sea cucumber? How did the conversation (which is mainly internal and being a monologue) end up in this direction? After some sort of strange ritual that Kamiya Yuzuru performed, she ended up here. She could not really remember what did Yuzuru do but she hazily remembered something about a sledge hammer and a rocket chair.

"... Why don't you stop snooping around like a rat and come out to face me?"

Yuri suddenly said, crossing her arms as she said that.

.

.

.

.

.

Nothing.

"..."

Yuri still stood there, staring blankly. She was so sure that someone would come out if she said that.

'... Eh? This is really strange. I was really sure that this very cool line would most likely make someone or something appear.'

Yuri thought to herself.

.

.

.

.

"... Why don't you stop snooping around like a rat and come out to face me?"

"I can't believe you actually said the same line twice."

A voice suddenly spoke up.

"Hmph, so you finally show yourself."

Yuri smirked.

"... No, I have not. And don't act like this was all part of your plan. You really messed it up."

Indeed, the owner of the mysterious voice was not seen and Yuri really did mess it up.

.

.

.

.

"... Why don't you stop snooping around like a rat and-"

"Enough already!"

A young man suddenly appeared before Yuri shouting at her. With his orange coloured hair, he was extremely familiar to Yuri. It was Yuzuru.

"Kamiya-kun? ... No, you are not Kamiya Yuzuru."

Yuri stated, realizing who was standing before her. Yuzuru smirked.

"You are Otonashi."

"You are correct."

Otonashi Yuzuru replied with a smile.

"... What is this place? Why are you different from Kamiya?"

Yuri asked, to which Otonashi nodded. He walked over to one side, where a chair appeared out of nowhere and he took a seat.

"This is a separate space from 'that' World. It is most like 'that' World, but it isn't. You do know what 'that' World is?"

Yuri did not like these round-about questions, but Otonashi always had a reason.

"... The afterlife is a place where souls with regrets go. It is a place created by humans who feared death. Isn't that right?"

Otonashi smiled and nodded to that answer.

"Yes. It is a place made up people's thoughts and emotions. And so there would be hundreds, thousands of those Worlds. This... Is merely the beginning stage of a new World."

This? Yuri looked around but still saw nothing but whiteness.

"It is a blank slate, free of impurities and defects. Free from worry, from stain and corruption. Free... from humans."

Yuri immediately sensed that there was something wrong with Otonashi. Something very wrong.

"Do not worry, Yurippe. I am not your enemy. At least not this time."

Otonashi said that with another smile. A smile that really unnerved Yuri.

"I created this place after testing out the Angel Program. It isn't a perfect replica of what the afterlife is so this place will never become an afterlife World. As such, it will remain as such, a blank slate that can be manipulated."

Otonashi waved his hand towards Yuri and a chair appeared out of nowhere in front of her. In between the chair and Otonashi appeared a table with a tea set. Yuri was unnerved by this but still sat down on the chair. The tea cup filled itself with tea and Otonashi took one, sipping on it casually.

"Ah, nothing beats a good tea. Why don't you take a sip?"

"..."

Yuri still not trust Otonashi. Although he was 'Otonashi', he wasn't the 'Otonashi' she knew. That person is gone now. Replaced by Kamiya Yuzuru but even so Kamiya Yuzuru wasn't exactly the same as Otonashi from before. No... They were different people. Perhaps this 'Otonashi' here was the reason for that difference.

"You are correct in your assumption."

Otonashi said, still sipping on his tea. Was he reading her mind?

"I cannot read minds, Yurippe, but I have anticipated your thoughts from the moment I learnt of your intentions to return here."

"Intentions?"

"Yes, intentions."

Otonashi said, putting down his tea cup. He looked straight at Yuri, his eyes showing no lies, no sign of joking.

"You see, The person known as 'Yuzuru' is made up of two individuals. One is Kamiya Yuzuru, and the other is Otonashi Yuzuru. One who chose to move on, and one who chose to stay behind."

Otonashi explained.

"One who only looks at the past, and one who only looks at the future."

A new voice spoke up. Yuri turned around and saw-

"Y-Yuzuru?"

A second Yuzuru stood there, walking over to stand by Yuri. He smiled while placing a hand on her shoulder before turning back to the other Yuzuru, narrowing his eyes.

"It seems you've been talking a lot of unnecessary things to Yurippe."

Kamiya snapped at Otonashi. Otonashi merely smirked, sipping his tea once more.

"It is merely because you failed to explain anything on your part."

"... There are certain things that the others do not need to know."

"You can only hide these things from them for so long. Do not try to run away from the inevitable."

"I'm not running away from anything!"

Kamiya Yuzuru shot back. This argument between two Yuzurus is interesting, but weird all at the same time. Kamiya Yuzuru sighed, closing his eyes to reorganize his thoughts.

"Well, it doesn't matter now. What we need to do now is to prevent the second 'apocalypse' from happening."

Otonashi Yuzuru nodded in agreement with a smile.

"Finally something we can agree on."

At this point, Yuri was feeling somewhat irritated about being left out.

"Someone explain all of this to me!"

Yuri snapped, making the two Yuzurus turn in surprise.

"Ah, sorry about that, Yurippe. I still owe you an explanation. I'm sure Kamiya-kun here would not mind if I explain it to you."

Otonashi looked to Kamiya with a smirk, and Kamiya merely sighed, closing his eyes while muttering 'do what you like'. Otonashi replied with a curt smile.

"Well, let me begin with your previous question. Who am I? I am Otonashi, or at least the fragment left behind."

"Fragment?"

"Yes, fragment. At the end of our war, all of you moved on from this World, being reborn back in the living World. But the being known as Otonashi Yuzuru was an irregular being in this World. He had no regrets, no lingering thoughts that anchored him to this World. So why did he exist? Why was he brought to this World? And why was he allowed to stay? These were questions that plagued Otonashi Yuzuru until he nearly went mad. In one last ditch effort to save himself, he decided to experiment on the Angel program."

Yuri remembered that program well. It was the cause of a lot of problems the last time around.

"The Angel program is the beginning of everything, as well as the end of everything. Otonashi Yuzuru was brought to this World because of Tachibana Kanade. He was only brought here to serve as Kanade's way out of the afterlife. After Kanade moved on, Otonashi was trapped in this World, having lost his purpose and desperate to see Tachibana Kanade. Using the program, he found a way to move on once more, but it came at a cost."

"... And that cost?"

"The cost, was the division of his soul. Only a human soul can move on from this World as part of the rules, but at the same time the rules of this World prevents anyone who has not cleared their regrets from the living World to move on. Otonashi Yuzuru had no regrets before coming to this World and thus he 'created' regrets for himself. This caused a great contradiction in the system as he did not clear regrets from the living World, but rather from the Afterlife. Together with his strong desire to see Kanade, Otonashi split himself with the program, sending one portion of his soul to the next World, whilst leaving the portion with 'no regrets' behind. In other words, from that point, the person known as 'Otonashi Yuzuru' became two beings. 'Otonashi', and 'Kamiya'. One living in the past of regrets, and the living in the future. One who is held back by Otonashi's desire to help others move on from this World, and the other inherited Otonashi's desire to be with Tachibana Kanade. With the program, we are both two separate beings, but at the same time still the same. That is why Kamiya was able to still hold onto a link back to this World. Through me."

Otonashi looked to Kamiya but the latter refused to look at him straight in the eye. Otonashi sighed, saying something like 'cold guy'.

"And... what is this 'second apocalypse'?"

Otonashi looked to Kamiya, before continuing back to Yuri.

"During the original Otonashi Yuzuru's quest to find a way back, he tinkered with the Angel Program more than he should have. You do recall the last battle of the SSS?"

"... All too well."

Yuri replied bitterly. The last battle of the SSS, one that cost them greatly.

"Yes, it was a painful battle, but the resulting chaos that Otonashi Yuzuru released into this World during the 'first apocalypse' was far worse. In his attempt for salvation, Otonashi Yuzuru released a hell storm in this World. Dubbed as the 'first apocalypse', with much difficulty he managed to seal it back into place. Unfortunately he realized that this 'apocalypse' was not just an event, but rather a certain program or rule written into this World. Certain circumstances needed to be present in order for this event to take place. Otonashi only managed to divert and delay such conditions from being met before he split his soul into two. While Kamiya went off to enjoy being alive again, I took on the mantle of the student council president. In order to fulfil another of Otonashi's original goals of preventing another formation of the SSS."

"Which you failed."

Kamiya pointed out.

"Now now, Kamiya, I'm not god. You should know better than anyone about that. In order to elevate my own despair and sadness of not being the one to find Kanade, I had tinkered with the Angel Program, something that the original Otonashi would not agree upon. I stretched the limits of the program and came discover many abilities that the program hides, such as the creation of this space. In my own madness of solitude, I became obsessed with creating life from the program. So much so that I actually did not notice that a second group of people had arrived and set up a revival of the SSS. I would admit that it was a grave mistake on my part, but unlike the fortunate Kamiya, I was alone in this World. And so I managed to create three NPCs who were very much like human beings. Unfortunately their pure and innocent states meant that any contact with the vile despairs of humanity would easily taint them. Two went on a rampage after being corrupted, leaving only one that I managed to save. That one NPC is my last bet to contain this situation."

"By situation, you mean that your creations are planning to re-ignite the conditions for the 'apocalypse' program."

Kamiya stated, to which Otonashi nodded with another smile. His smiles were really creepy and unnerving.

"Yes, that is right. I am unable to intervene directly in these turn of events, having been too far absorbed into the program. My two rampaging creations believe themselves to be workers of 'God', which is apparently me. If they are able to unleash the 'apocalypse' program, not only would that wipe out every soul in this afterlife, but it will also affect the World of the living. I cannot say what the implications might be, but it is never good."

"And what about the new SSS2?"

Yuri asked.

"That... that I would have to ask you to leave it up to my third creation. My perfect NPC, Katsuragi Rei. It is his job to ensure that they are allowed to pass on. Not to mention it is a request from... a friend."

Otonashi trailed off, hinting to Yuri that he did not want the matter to be pressed any further. Yuri sighed, getting up to her feet.

"Alright, I understand your position. But as it stands I cannot allow this war to continue. My pride as the former leader of the SSS is on the line here. I will make sure that this will end by my hand."

Yuri said sternly. Otonashi smiled, sitting back in his chair while crossing his arms.

"I would not have it any other way."

* * *

_Back down in Guild_

Katsuragi Rei parried another blow from an Angel wielding a black essence weapons shaped like a sword with his rifle. The brunt of the attack was absorbed by the rifle, but soon the rifle began to crack. Just before the rifle snapped into two, Rei released the weapon and jumped back. The enemy charged forward, brandishing her blade for another attack.

"Tch. Defence skill: Blade Sonic"

From Rei's right hand appeared a blade that he managed to bring up to defend himself. An identical blade formed itself on his left hand. He used this blade and drove it straight into the Angel's chest, finishing the Angel off. Pulling the blade from the body, Katsuragi Rei let the body slump to the ground with a thud as he stood up. Looking around, he saw that his 'group' had more or less cleared out the remaining enemies. They had reached the outside of Guild and found that the place was swarming with enemies. While Rei's group stood with more or less on equal grounds with their number, it was still a harsh battle to overcome. The number of bodies from both the enemy and their own group were high. Not to mention the bodies of SSS2 members who fought against the Angels and Shadows before the arrival of Rei's group. It must have been an extremely bloody and costly battle, judging by the large mass of bodies littered everywhere. Not a single survivor was found. So this was the war that they had been fighting for so long. This was the result of their long struggles. This was what awaited them. Death.

"... What should we do?"

Kai asked, walking over to Rei. Kai's face was smeared with the blood of the fallen. It really did not suit him at all.

"... Where is Saya?"

"Over there, by one of the bodies. I think it was a friend."

Kai pointed to one side where Saya knelt down by a fallen SSS2 body, not muttering a single word.

"... I see."

Rei sighed, looking over by the battlefield. It was a mess, one big bloody mess. He raised a hand towards the NPCs who stood by him.

"Collect all those bodies that can be healed as well as any NPCs who can be converted."

He ordered and the former Angels all nodded, carrying on their task without a word. This was the least he could do. End this mindless war as soon as possible. That was his only goal and only way to finish this. Rei looked over to where Guild was, behind those heavy doors. He had not yet seen if anyone was inside and it would be best to find out, whether they were friendly or foe did not matter. For now.

"Kai, Saya, follow me."

He called out as he walked towards the doors of Guild. Kai followed suite but Saya hesitated. She looked down to the fallen SSS2 member one last time before she got to her feet and followed Rei. Upon reaching the doors, Rei released that the doors were not locked and it had seemed as though no forced entry was evident. But why would Guild, of all places, be unlocked? Unsure of what he would find, Rei pushed the doors open and stepped inside. Guild was dark, not a single light was turned on.

"I think there should be a switch somewhere around here."

Kai said, feeling the wall with his hand before he hit something.

"Ah, there."

With a loud sound, the main switch for the lights within Guild turned on and slowly the lights began to light up, brightening up the now abandoned guild. With tools and weapons scattered all about, Rei deduced that everyone left this place in a hurry. Well, almost everyone.

"Katsuragi, I think I see somebody there."

Kai pointed to the end of the room, where Musashi's work bench was. The three cautiously made their way over, weapons ready in case it was an enemy. But as it turns out it was-

"Musashi-san?"

Rei was surprised to see the veteran Guild blacksmith still here. Worn, battered and bruised, the blacksmith had definitely seen better days.

"Are you alright?"

Kai asked, checking the blacksmith's wounds.

"Ah... I'm fine. I managed to escape the massacre by hiding myself in here. It was cowardly of me to do so... but even then, there was something that I must do."

Musashi said painfully as he winced at the pain when Kai tightened up a bandage around his abdomen.

"Something that you must do?"

Rei asked, to which Musashi merely pointed. Following his finger, Rei saw two large objects wrapped in cloth on Musashi's workbench.

"My... last two works... my last two masterpieces."

Musashi struggled to his feet.

"H-hey! You shouldn't be-"

"Shut up!"

Musashi snapped, pushing Katsuragi back. Musashi struggled with his steps, staggering the entire way as he made each painful step at the time towards his work bench. Was that something so important that he would not care about his own body over? Upon reaching his work bench, Musashi grabbed onto the smaller of the two cloth-wrapped items and turned to Katsuragi. With the last of his strength, Musashi threw the item at Katsuragi, who caught it.

"Wha-.. what is this?"

Rei asked, looking at the long item in his hand.

"That... is probably... my greatest creation."

Musashi said, slumping to the ground.

"Your... greatest... creation?"

"... Yes. It is."

Musashi said with a strained smile. He lifted a finger and pointed at Katsuragi.

"I... can see it. You... are not human."

This news surprised everyone in the room.

"H-how did you know-"

"Hmph... you may be able to hide yourself from others... but your body and soul... can never lie... But.. it does not matter. You are not human... yet strive to be one... I am a true... blacksmith. I make weapons for those... I see worthy... For you the challenge too great to pass on... I had to make a weapon... for a being who can transcend... humans."

Rei stared at the weapon his hand, feeling slightly shocked and surprised by all that he was hearing. He pulled the knot that was tightened around it and pulled the cloth aside, revealing-

"... A katana?"

Kai wondered out loud.

"Not just any... katana."

Musashi smiled, pointing towards the hilt. It was true, on the blue lined hilt was a trigger. At the butt end of the hilt Rei could see that there was a latch of some sort.

"Hold it, Katsuragi... hold onto the weapon."

Musashi instructed. Katsuragi did as he was told and the moment he held onto the hilt, his mind shuddered. His entire body tingling with strange sensations. Thoughts, emotions all flew into his mind. He could 'see' himself, swinging the weapon expertly, using parts of the weapon he never knew possible. These thoughts were-

"A weapon... made only for that specific user... Just like how... a user chooses his weapon... so does the weapon... chooses its master. That sword is made for you... Katsuragi, and no one else... only you can know how to wield it... only to you would it show you... its secrets... my ultimate weapon... to save... or to destroy the SSS2... that is up to you... use it well... The other weapon is for... Yamato... and for you Saya... your weapon... is there."

Musashi pointed to the end of the work shop where a giant wooden box was.

"You... hide many things... death lingers about you..."

Musashi muttered, to which Saya merely kept silent. She walked over to the other end and stood next to the large wooden box.

"This... is a coffin."

She said.

"Yes... it is... you are unsure of yourself... unsure of what to do... death... is the only thing that awaits you."

Saya stared at the coffin for the moment, before picking it up with ease.

"... I don't need a super weapon. I only need what I need."

She said, grabbing onto one of the two straps on the back and slung it around her arm.

_[Saya equips GraveYard]_

Without another word, Saya left Guild, leaving Kai and Rei with the injured Musashi.

"... Katsuragi."

Musashi called out to Rei, who walked over and knelt down next to the black smith. Musashi grabbed onto Rei's shoulder with a firm grip as he stared into his eyes.

"Your weapon... is a mirror to my other work... Kurogane Kou's ultimate weapon."

"Her weapon? You mean her scythe?"

Musashi shook his head to Rei's answer.

"No... her scythe... is only a tool for her revenge... her true weapon... is far worse... I made you weapon... in hopes to restore balance and order... I do not know what you are planning... but you must... not let... Kou use her true... weapon. That is why... I made this sword... my greatest work..."

"... The 'Blue Gear'."

Rei said his weapon's name. Musashi smiled and nodded.

"Yes... This World.. is one of madness... yours is one of order... use it, Katsuragi... Promise me..."

Musashi begged. Katsuragi knew that look. This was Musashi's greatest work. His pride and joy. He will not let Musashi down. It was his duty. His mission. His goal. Rei grabbed Musashi by the shoulders and nodded.

"I will save everyone and restore balance. You do not have to worry about a thing."

To Rei's words, Musashi smiled and released his grip as he slowly lay down. His body started to glow as it became translucent.

"Ah... that... is all I needed... to hear."

And then... he was gone. Musashi, the greatest blacksmith in the SSS2 was gone. Vanished. Rei's hand gripped onto nothing but air. Musashi had moved on. This was what Rei wanted to do, but why did it feel so... sad?

"Everyone has to move on eventually. That is what we were planning to do, right Katsuragi?"

Kai asked. Rei stood up, looking at his weapon. Blue Gear. Everything that represented Musashi was imbued into this weapon. His ideals, his strengths, his passion. All to bring order back into the SSS2. He will not fail this task. Not now. Not ever.

"The plan stays the same, Kai. I will save everyone. No one will be left behind."

Kai blinked a couple of times before smiling with a nod.

"Alright, so what is our plan now? There are no rail cars left for us to take down to Big Site."

Kai explained. Rei looked around him, seeing as how the entire of Guild had probably retreated down to Big Site by now. By as they had no way of reaching there on foot, Rei had to think of something else.

"There are probably other ways to get down to Guild, but we would waste a lot of time getting there..."

Rei trailed off, turning his head as he looked off into the distance. He seemed to be sensing something. With a smile, he nodded his head as though coming to an agreement with himself.

"Right, we'll head topside."

Rei decided.

"What about Big Site?"

Kai asked, to which Rei merely patted the cloth covered weapon meant for Yamato.

"This little baby will take care of it. Alert the others, we move out in five."

* * *

A/N: Someone asked what story I would write after this... Not too sure actually. I still have some projects left in the midst of writing. Maybe I could complete them, or at least attempt to complete them.


	35. Chapter 35

A/N: Sorry for the delay. I was coming up with new weapon ideas with a friend. Once I get the details properly done I'll put them on a site somewhere... Or my blog. Most likely my blog.

There are a lot of ideas coming out of my head but it's been hard to sort through them so my chapters may seem... messy. Sorry for that.

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 35_

_The Mantle Of Power  
_

_Five hours later_

The next bump made Yamato feel extremely sick, as if the last few hundred of bumps did not. Sitting at the back of one of the trucks in the convoy, Yamato had time to think and rest, as did the rest of her group in the same truck as herself. Banding together as a squad, they called themselves Guard 1, fashioning themselves after her position as a Guardian and following her lead. Personally, it felt too surreal for Yamato. Not just the battle itself, but this entire place. It wasn't too long ago since she came here. Truth be told, Yamato simply let the torrent of events sweep her through.

As the convoy sped down the tunnels, Yamato was starting to feel slightly unsure of the outcome of the battle. Too many variables, too many factors that did not make sense. What happened outside Guild? Who attacked the Angels and Shadows outside there? Was there another force at work in this battle? Yamato shook her head as she tried to dissipate those thoughts. It was pointless to think about it now. In fact, it wasn't part of her personality to be mulling over things too much. She was more the up-front and deal-with-it kind of person.

"Five minutes!"

The driver hollared over the roars of the engines. Everyone in Guard 1 looked up, sharp and loaded their weapons. Yamato guessed that it was time. No more hesitation. No more doubts. Time to look at nothing but her goals. She will have more doubts in the future, that is one certainty for sure. But for now, she will complete the task set in front of her. The truck screeched to a halt and the sounds of gun fire and war cries were already all around as Yamato jumped out of the truck. As expected of the Runners, they were just as mad as the rest of Guild. The trucks stopped right in the middle of the entire battlefield! But it did not matter. Not to Yamato. Not to the rest of them.

"Guard 1, spread out and provide covering fire!"

Yamato commanded as she brought out her large cannon, Getsuga-tengan.

" "**Roger!**" "

They echoed back, rushing out in perfect formation and doing as ordered. Using the trucks as cover, Guard 1 fired at the Shadows and Angels who were laying siege to Big Site's main platform area where multiple Shield members were, defending the lifts down to Big Site itself with entrenched machine gun nests and mortar fire. But even Shield's best efforts, Shadows and Angels were breaching their defences, forcing some Shield members to fight in close quarters. All in all, this was a very hectic and chaotic battle.

"Corporal Kusanagi! We must get my divisions to regroup with the Shield members on the platforms if we were to stand a chance to turn the tide of this battle!"

Shinobu shouted above the loud din of the battle. Yamato flinched as a grenade shrapnel flew past her face.

"What about you?"

She shouted back. Shinobu pulled her goggles down over her eyes and tapped twice on her helmet.

"I will head over to the platform to provide immediate assistance!"

Before Yamato could stop her, Shinobu muttered something under her breath that wasn't audible A sudden flash of light blinded Yamato for a mere second and then Shinobu was gone.

**BOOM**

A loud explosion echoed from the platform and before the dust cloud could settle, Yamato saw another flash of light within the dust cloud and a second explosion erupted from the other end of the platform.

"Don't need to worry about Senjougahara-san, that's just her special skill."

One of the Runners shouted to explain to Yamato. Sure enough, Shinobu stepped out from the large hole in the wall, dusting her hands of dust and blood. Did she just ram a few enemies into the walls and floors?

"Her skill allows her to accelerate at a tremendous rate but the problem is that she cannot stop unless she crashes into something."

That doesn't sound promising at all. But from what Yamato could see, Shinobu had no problem dispatching enemies quickly, if not explosively. As expected from a member of Guild. Well, since Shinobu was doing her part, Yamato had to do hers. She closed her eyes. Breathing slow. Deep. Hard. Her hearing was strained. Every fine detail could be heard. The shouting of the SSS2. The gun fire. The explosions. The bullets flying flying through the air. Her chest tightened. Her muscles tensed. She opened her eyes.

"It's show time."

She swung her cannon around the truck and took aim. Slamming her boot against the pedal, she locked the mechanism in place and fired.

**BOOM**

The round detonated with a three metre radius, scattering the enemy. Her heart beat was strong, hard against her chest. Snap open cannon. Let empty shell fall out. Grab next round from belt. Spin round in hand. Slam it into chamber. Lock chamber back in place. Boot against pedal. Mechanism locked. Aim. Fire.

**BOOM**

Enemy charging at her. Snap handle side ways. Extend forward pike. Pile Bunker mode. Swing weapon at enemy. Contact. Fire round. Impact shock wave against enemy. Enemy stopped in attack. Next shock wave impact. Enemy shield shatters. Third shock wave impact. Spike pierces enemy. Snap handle backwards. Load rifle magazine. Fire rounds into pierced angel's body. Snap handle back. Fire explosive round. Enemy disintegrated. Next target. Lock on. Snap cannon open. Load next round. Snap back cannon. Step on pedal. Mechanism lock. Aim. Fire.

**BOOM**

"Die human!"

An angel screamed, charging at her. Snap handle. Fire pile bunker into shield. Enemy too close. Using her boot, Yamato backed kicked her cannon, causing it to flip, centred around the handle which she held in her hand. The back portion of the cannon sailed through the air and smashed the angel on the head.

"That's enough! Kusanagi!"

A voice called out to her. Her senses slowly dulled as reality slowly came back into view. The one who was calling out to her was Shinobu. She had cleared the docks. Now was the time to regroup.

"Guard 1, on me!"

She shouted out, slinging her cannon over her shoulder and running over to the platform with her squad following closely behind. Once on the platform, Shinobu approached her, her helmet covered with blood splatter that she did not bother to ask about.

"We managed to secure a line thanks to you. Shield can take over from here but we have a larger problem now."

Shinobu's words weighed heavily on Yamato as she nodded.

"Okay, so what is it?"

"A number of Shadows have managed to slip past Shield's defences and went down into Big Site. The elevators are not working so you will need to get down the hard way."

Shinobu reached into her waist pouch and pulled out several metal rings.

"These will clip onto the elevator wires and bring you down to Big Site. Your team will go down, secure Big Site and meet up with the Boss. I will hold off the enemy here."

Yamato did not argue with that. There was no time to nor did Yamato think of any better alternative. She grabbed the metal rings and headed off towards the elevator shafts. She distributed the rings to her squad members and walked all the to the shaft. Looking down, she could see that the battle was already on-going below. Still, what a way down.

"... Ready up."

She ordered and the members of Guard 1 took out their rings. They had to jump to reach the elevator wires but none were afraid. They had seen worse. They had gone through hell. This was nothing.

"... Hook up."

Yamato said and the members of Guard 1 all jumped at the same time, each grabbing a wire and clipping the metal ring's catch onto the wire.

"Corporal."

Yamato looked up and saw Shinobu standing by the shaft's entrance.

"Good luck. And take care of the boss."

Shinobu said. Yamato nodded in reply.

"Of course."

Shinobu smiled at her answer and turned around, pulling her goggles down over her eyes as she walked off back to the front lines Yamato looked down the shaft. It was now or never.

"Descend!"

Guard 1 descended down the elevator shaft, down into what was the largest battle Yamato had ever seen thus far. Fires everywhere. Screams from running non-combatants. Sounds of gunfire and explosions.

"It's like the battle of big site all over again."

One of the members of Guard 1 said with a grim tone.

"... Let's not waste time."

Yamato said. She and the members of Guard 1 landed at the bottom of the elevator shaft and stepped out of the remains of the elevators into field of chaos. Blood everywhere. Bodies scattered everywhere.

"... First thing first. Let us find out where the survivors are."

Yamato said.

"Ma'am, there seems to be a lot of gun fire going on at the bath house."

One of the members said, pointing towards the furthest end of the cavern. Yamato nodded in agreement and unslung her cannon.

"Alright. Let's move out. Tight line formation."

" "Roger" "

The group moved out quickly, rushing off towards the grand bath house. Despite Yamato's getsuga-tengan's size, it was still a very light weight weapon. Yamato figured it must be because of how simple its mechanisms actually were. But besides that, the situation in Big Site was quite bad. As they ran through the streets of Big Site, Yamato noticed that nothing was still alive. If the reports from Shinobu were right, then there should only be Shadows down here, yet why was she seeing bodies of Angels lying around? Something was not right.

**BOOM**

Yamato looked up and saw a large chunk of a building coming down towards them.

"Scatter!"

She shouted and everyone dispersed in separate directions before the large debris crashed into the ground, leaving a large crater.

"What was that? !"

One member demanded, but Yamato did not have an answer... till now. A giant screeching roar echoed throughout the tunnels. A roar so loud that it made the very ground tremble and crack. Looking in the far end, Yamato saw them. Towering close to ten storeys tall, those giant lumbering towers of darkness.

"Gigas!"

One of them shouted. Gigas, a giant shadow that easily towers anything around it. Thus far, only two had ever been seen, both dispatched off by the sixth division at a heavy cost. But this was different. It wasn't just one Gigas... there were an army of them.

"Five? Five Gigas all in the same place? ! This can't be happening!"

Yamato gritted her teeth as she tried to think. What should she do? She then saw explosions against the Gigas. Guild was still fighting back.

"Alright, split up. Saori, take half of the squadron to the baths. Group up with Guild and tell them to concentrate all fire-power at the centre of the market square. Got it?"

At first Saori looked confused, but upon seeing the determination in Yamato's eyes, Saori nodded with confidence.

"Leave it to me ma'am."

"Good. The rest of you, follow me."

Yamato headed off towards the other end of Big Site, leading half of Guard 1 with her. Running through the destroyed streets of Big Site, streets that were once busied with people. Streets that were once filled with the voices of people. People... who were now gone. Streets devoid of life and filled with nothing but death. Yamato dashed past a few stores she recognized herself, being a customer once or twice. She remembered an ammunition store that tried to sell her the wrong ammunition type. She remembered another shop had sold her a very good modification part for her shotgun at a low price. She really liked that owner. He always had sweets in his shop for the customers to take. Or was it that they weren't for taking and she simply took them either way?

"Ma'am! Above!"

One of those following her shouted. Yamato quickly looked up and saw a giant chunk of another building flying down towards them. She immediately slammed the butt of her cannon into the ground, forcing the spikes that were meant to hold the cannon down when firing straight into the ground. Without waiting, she slammed her boot into the pedal and pulled the trigger. The round flew into the falling debris and exploded upon contact, splitting debris into smaller pieces that flew away harmlessly. Heaving a sigh, Yamato picked up her cannon and looked to the others.

"Everyone alright?"

She questioned, and to her relief all nodded in reply.

"Ma'am look over there."

One of them said, pointing towards their destination. Looking in that direction, Yamato saw what seemed to be wired harpoons flying from all over at the Gigas. As each harpoon pierced the Gigas and the wires became taut, Yamato saw that each harpoon was connected to... a person?

"Is that... Shield?"

One of Guard 1 asked. Yamato did not know, but it seemed that the members of Shield had created a device that allowed them to harpoon and anchor themselves onto large objects to climb it. The Shield members all 'flew' up at the Gigas, stabbing it from close range and it seemed to do the trick, although slow. The Gigas managed to swipe its hand on its back, sweeping all of the Shield members off its back. One of the shield member flew all the way to Yamato's group, crashing into the building next to their location. Yamato ran over to take a look.

The shield member was in a bloody mess, having the top half of his or her body pulverised. It was a disgusting sight but Yamato now saw how the Shield members did it. Clipping around their waste was a contraption of some sort. Like two large circular holders shaped like giant up-side down measuring tapes by the sides of their thighs, holding onto wires that ran through a feeder at the front of the holder. The back of the holders held what seemed to be a compartment for the harpoon tips. The back of the belt held a small cylinder that seemed to contain compressed air. Yamato wasted no time in taking the harpoon equipment and putting them on herself.

"Ma'am? What are you doing?"

One of them asked.

"Taking over the fight. As it stands none of us know how to deal with a Gigas, but Guild seems to know a way to defeat them... Most likely attacking the head. To get there, we must do like how Guild does it. Find any spare equipment you guys can find and follow me."

She ordered. The members of Guard 1 were unsure of her decision, but followed it anyway. Yamato now had to figure out how to work this contraption. Unlike getsuga-tenga, which is her own personalized weapon, this equipment was massed produced and she had no practice with it. Gestsuga-tengan could also be called her 'soul weapon' as upon contact she knew how to operate immediately, resonating with her very soul. But this was a whole different matter. After a few rounds of testing, she discovered that the holders could rotate. Time to test it. She loaded a harpoon into the hole in front of the holder and aimed it at a nearby building. A small trigger on top of the holder with a button allowed her to set the amount of compressed gas to be allowed into the quiver and upon squeezing the trigger, the harpoon flew out like a bullet, embedding itself into the wall she aimed at. Releasing the trigger caused the quiver to retract the wire, and since the other end was anchored, that only meant-

"AAAHHHH!"

Yamato screamed as she was shot off the ground at break neck speeds off the floor and towards the wall she shot the harpoon at. She had no time to adjust and quickly shifted her cannon into pile bunker mode, piercing through the wall and allowing her to tumble into the upper floor of this building relatively safely compared to crashing into the wall.

"Cough cough... too much gas."

Yamato muttered, dusting herself off. She looked around and saw that the harpoon she used earlier was now bent in a weird angle. So these harpoons were for one time use only? What a lousy design. Still, it explains why there were so many anchor tips this the holder. It was hard to control but Yamato knew that she had no choice but to force herself to adapt to its usage as soon as possible. She faced the measuring tape-shaped holders to the next building, loading the next harpoon tip onto the hole. She pressed the button to let the compressed air from the cylinder at the back of the belt flow into the holder's main chamber. Aiming the device, she squeezed the trigger, firing the harpoon out. The harpoon flew out and embedded itself in the next building. Releasing the trigger, the device retracted the wire, pulling Yamato along with it.

Controlling the amount of gas that was put into the wire as well as the pressure on the trigger allowed Yamato to control her speed and she twisted her body, allowing her legs to hit the wall of the building before she crashed into it. Tilting the second harpoon holder, she fired that at a higher building, detaching the harpoon from her first holder to be pulled by the second holder. She was getting used to this. A flip by the side of the trigger was used to hold the wire had a desirable length, very much like a real measuring tape. At a certain length, she used her momentum and swing and run up along the wall. Releasing the harpoon at the right time, she essentially 'flew' through the air and landed on the roof of another building. This was bad... she was very much enjoying this too much.

"Focus."

She muttered to herself. Looking forward, she saw her target. The nearest Gigas that was lumbering straight for the bath houses. The sound of retracting wire made Yamato turn and she saw that members of Guard 1 were joining her. All with the same harpoon belt equipment on them. Mixed in were some Shield members.

"Ma'am, we've managed to regroup with some of the members of Shield."

A member of Guard 1 reported, to which she nodded in reply before turning to the nearest Shield members.

"So, what can you guys tell me about the situation down here?"

"We were attacked by waves of Shadows from the elevator shafts. The Boss had disappeared, saying something about finding an end to all of this, leaving us to defend this position."

The Shield member said.

"And the Gigas?"

"They just appeared. Their weak point appears to the a point at the back of their heads. We're using these newly developed **H.A.I.L.** (Heavy Auxiliary Insertion Linkage) anchor belts to get to their height though these were originally used by the miners to dig along the walls."

So these were for the diggers. That explains a lot. Yamato looked back at the Gigas.

"So, it's weak point is the back of its head, am I right?"

"Yes, but no matter how many times we try to get up there the Gigas just manages to sweep us off! Besides, no one is able to get close enough since it is still a Shadow! It's darkness is too thick for us to get close without damage!"

"... Good."

Yamato nodded her head as if to understand something.

"Alright, Guard 1, get to it."

She ordered and the members of Guard 1 all replied in a unified manner.

" "**Yes ma'am!**" "

They shot out their anchors and sped off towards their target. The members of Shield were perplexed by Guard 1's rash and sudden move.

"W-what? ! B-but without proper planning and protection, your men will be killed!"

He objected to Yamato, who merely silenced him with her glare.

"I did not expect such words coming out from the glorious Shield members of Guild... Do not look down on my men. We have fought from hell and back. If you're so afraid of dying, then stay back and shoot yourself. We'll be done by the time you revive."

Yamato snapped, before turning her attention back to the Gigas and squeezed the trigger on her anchor belt. Firing an anchor, Yamato shot off from the roof top and quickly made her way towards her target. The Gigas was only few more buildings away. Time to test the power of the HAIL anchor belts. Yamato looked up and saw members of Guard 1 were already shooting anchors up to the Gigas and closing in. Now was the time. Yamato dashed forward, running along the roof tops as she slotted another harpoon tip into the feeder hole. She released gas into the holders and aimed the anchors up at the Gigas. Squeezing the trigger, Yamato fired the anchor at the Gigas, retracting the wire and pulling herself towards her target.

Flipping her body, she slammed her boots into the thigh of Gigas, using the momentum of her initial jump to run higher up the Gigas before firing the second harpoon into the waist of the Gigas. As soon as she managed to get up to the waist, the Gigas raised its hand, sweeping it down at her. She forced her legs to jump, springing off the body of the Gigas, twisting her body in mid air and firing another harpoon at the hand of the Gigas. The hand swept past the waist and dragged Yamato through the air. The G-force was intense, but Yamato forced herself to focus. Timing it just at the right time, she released the anchor at the swings apex, flying through the air over the Gigas's head.

She had never flown through the air in her life, not even in an aeroplane. So to Yamato, who had never gone through the air before, her mind was slightly high on adrenaline and whatever happy/excited hormones that exist. The feel of the wind, legs not being restricted by the ground. All of this was extremely invigorating. Too bad it had to end. But Yamato reached out her hand to the ceiling of Big Site. Someday, she promised herself. Someday when all of this over. She will take to the skies once more. As Yamato began to descend back down towards the ground, she flipped her body and aimed a harpoon into the back of the Gigas's head. Pulling herself in, she could see it now, the Gigas's weak point. A strange crystal-like formation growing out of the Gigas's dark shadowy body. She loaded her getsuga-tengan, switching it to become a pile bunker and pressed the spike against the crystal formation.

"This ends now."

She said as she squeezed the trigger, sending the spike straight into the crystal formation. The Gigas unleashed an unearthly howl as its body slowly started to disintegrate. Jumping off the disappearing carcass, Yamato fired an anchor into the side of the building, preventing her from crashing down into the ground. As she released the anchor and lightly dropped down onto the roof of the shop houses, she looked up and saw that the Gigases were already being brought down by members of Guard 1. One of the members of Guard 1 dropped down before her and saluted.

"Ma'am. All of the gigases are being brought down."

He reported.

"Good work. What of the situation at the bath houses?"

"It appears that Saori and the others have established contact with the rest of Guild and managed to push back the rest of the Shadows."

"Hmm, good. Alright, signal the rest to regroup at the bath houses. We need to find that crazy boss of Guild and try to get some form of resistance back into action."

Yamato said, walking over to the edge of the roof. Looking down, it appears that the distance to the ground wasn't that far down. Or maybe she was just too used to high altitudes by now. Stepping off the edge, Yamato landed lightly on the ground. Members of Guard 1 followed suite, jumping down from the rooftops to join her on the ground.

"How is the situation back at the station?"

She asked as they made their way towards the bath house.

"It seems that everything is under control as well. Reinforcements from the Runners and from Provisions are descending down the elevator shafts as we speak."

The Guard 1 member said, pointing to the elevator shafts where multiple ropes were dangling down, providing a way for Guild members to descend down into Big Site. Yamato nodded in acknowledgement, continuing down the street and reaching the bath house where Saori ran up to her and saluted.

"Ma'am. We've held the line and the moment the Gigases fell, the enemy's strength broke. The remaining enemies are being routed by Shield members even as we speak."

Saori reported. Yamato nodded and walked into the bath house. Once a place for relaxation, for comfort and rest, now it was looking more like a war hospital combined with a military command post. Injured were everywhere. Crates and munitions and weapons scattered all around. Shield members being almost everywhere, either being a medic to treat wounds or running around with weapons to add support. It was truly a mess in here.

"Who is in charge here?"

Yamato asked.

"There isn't any proper chain of command, ma'am."

Saori reported, leading Yamato down the hallway of the West wing.

"After Himura Yuuko disappeared without a trace, Guild was thrown into disarray. The closest thing they have to a command structure is here."

Saori stopped right outside one of the leisure rooms in the West wing of the bath house. Knocking on the door before opening it, Saori stepped aside to allow Yamato to walk in. The leisure room was a room that was suppose to hold recreational objects to let members relax after a nice hot bath. Table tennis, vending machines, massage chairs, arcade machines. Basically anything to relax. Now the room was turned into a miniature command post. The tables were covered with maps, bullets, radios. The massage chairs now held crates of weapons. Vending machines emptied of its contents. Standing in the middle of the room were a group of young SSS2 members. One thing Yamato noticed immediately about them. Only two of that group were part of Guild's division. the others are-

"Assault division?"

Yamato questioned. The huddled group of Assault members looked up to Yamato and a young man stepped forward with a smile.

"Ah, so you must be the leader of Guard 1. Never heard of such a squad, however. Newly formed?"

He asked, extending his hand to her. Yamato did not take that shake, however, feeling tired and slightly wary of these people.

"They formed it on their own... You're in charge around here?"

She asked. The young man realized that Yamato did not want to shake and merely smiled as he pocketed his hand.

"As close as you can get to one. We were in a lot of trouble when Yuuko disappeared on us. Well, we're the closest thing to a fighting squad besides you guys so I sort of naturally took charge. I'm Yamamoto Takanari by the way."

Yamamoto Takanari. Yamato knew that name.

"First lieutenant Yamamoto Takanari, the leader of the Assault's heavy division."

"Ah, so you have heard of me."

Takanari smiled sheepishly.

"But I'm still nowhere near a Guardian such as yourself. I came down here because I heard that Yuuko's little project was a success and she personally called me down to test them since they were meant for my squad. However the moment I got down here... well, you know the rest of the story."

Takanari explained, scratching the back of his head. By Yuuko's pet project, he must mean Yuuko's near impossible project. How could Yuuko succeed? But if they did succeed, then that changes everything.

"Are they all operational?"

Yamato asked. Takanari blinked a couple of times at Yamato, before he smiled.

"Yup, they all are. We just need to get them topside and this war could change in our favour. That... and Yuuko left behind a very nice toy she had been hiding from everyone else. Can't wait to test it out."

Takanari smirked, rubbing his hands together like some mad scientist.

"... Alright, how soon can we move?"

"We can have everything operational within two hours."

Two hours. Yamato did not like to wait that long, but she guessed it had some advantages.

"Alright. I'll report back to you later, first lieutenant."

Yamato said, turning to go but Takanari suddenly stopped her.

"I think you've got something mixed up, corporal."

That made Yamato turn, perplexed by what he said.

"You don't have to report to anyone. Instead, WE shall report to you."

Takanari said.

"... What do you mean? You are the higher ranking one-"

"Corporal Kusanagi. In war, there is no rank. Hierarchy is only for when there is enough time in peace to squabble over meaningless power that does not suit anyone. As you have demonstrated time and time again, you are clearly more suitable to lead us into battle than I would ever be."

What Takanari said felt slightly weird to Yamato. Maybe she needed to rest. Lead Guild? She had never commanded a squad, let a lone an entire division. How could she?

"No... I do not have the aptitude to lead. Find someone else."

She muttered.

"Ah, but there isn't anyone else to choose from. Besides, I don't think anyone else in this room would object. Right, guys?"

Takanari turned to the others in the room and all nodded in agreement. Even the Shield members were agreeing.

"But-"

"I object!"

Slamming the door open, a Shield member stormed into the room with a group of other Shield members. Yamato remembered this young man as the one who told her about the Gigas but was too afraid to attack. Just what does he want now?

"What do you want now, Saitou?"

One of the higher ranking Shield members in the room groaned. Obviously showing that this person is already a problem person in the Guild.

"I object to making this person lead us!"

Saitou shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Yamato.

"She is reckless, going to fight the Gigas without proper knowledge of how to handle the equipments as well as ignoring my warnings!"

"Your warnings were irrelevant."

Saori snapped at Saitou.

"Saori, enough."

Yamato muttered.

"Saitou, at current, the Boss has disappeared and we need a strong leader."

The higher ranking Shield member explained.

"But she will get us all killed!"

"And how is that any different from when we were under the Boss?"

Saitou bit his lip, unable to say anything to that. The higher ranking Shield member sighed, shaking his head.

"We've been through this before, Saitou. Your habit of sticking to the books is constantly getting in the way of you seeing the bigger picture."

"And what is the bigger picture? Yuuta, there is no bigger picture! We're trapped down here! Cornered like rats by the very enemy we were trained to kill! We cannot win!"

"Saitou!"

"Don't stop me!"

Saitou screamed, slapping away Yuuta's hand.

"We lost the war! We lost everything! The boss left us! Abandoned us! We're nothing but pawns to all of their stupid games! We're all going to die down here!"

Saitou suddenly drew his pistol, making the entire room a dangerous free-fire zone.

"I've had enough of these stupid battles! These stupid decisions! It doesn't matter if we manage to push the enemy back now, they will just keep coming back over and over again! This war will never end!"

"Saitou! Calm down!"

Yuuta shouted but to no avail.

"Don't tell me to calm down! How can you keep calm in something like this? !"

"What is with all of this noise? And someone put that idiot down before he pokes his own eye out."

A new voice said, making everyone turn. Stepping into the room, her uniform soaking in blood, was Senjougahara Shinobu.

"Shinobu-sama!"

Yuuta seemed to be glad that Shinobu was here, and frankly, everyone was. Maybe not Saitou.

"You! You're another one of those that keeps on manipulating us for their own pleasure! I will not let myself be a pawn of your damned games any longer!"

"Saitou, put that gun now."

Shinobu snapped at Saitou and for a brief moment, Yamato swore she saw a flash of red in Shinobu's eyes. Fear. Intense and uncontrollable fear filled every part of Saitou's body and he became unable to hold the gun up. The pistol fell harmlessly onto the floor and Saitou himself collapsed.

"Sigh, see to him. And while you're at it, tie him up in a strait jacket. I'm sure the boss had some in her office."

Shinobu said to the Shield members taking Saitou out of the room. Turning her attention back to the room, Shinobu walked over to Yamato.

"I agree with everyone here that you should take up leadership, Kusanagi."

"But-"

"No buts."

Licking the blood off her hand, the little vampire smiled and took off her helmet.

"There isn't anyone better to lead us than you. You have experience, not to mention you felled a Gigas all by yourself. I don't think anyone in Guild who witnessed such a sight would want to follow anyone else. Even if they were by your recommendation."

Shinobu said, putting her bloodied helmet on the table and throwing herself onto one of the empty massage chairs.

"A leader is not someone who just sits there and orders people what to do. A leader is a symbol, a power that is far greater than the most powerful weapon in the World. Being able to move people, turn the tides of an impossible war into a victory, bring hope in the darkness of despair, show the path that we should all take. You do not need to do anything new, Kusanagi. Just be the way you are. Wherever you walk, we will follow."

Yamato stared at Shinobu for some time after hearing that. Was she serious? But then again, Shinobu rarely joked. So... she had choice in this matter then. Like it or not, she would be leading Guild and one entire squad from Assault. This day just keeps getting better and better.

"... Fine... We move out in two hours."

* * *

A/N: The idea of the anchor belts came from a comic named "Attack of the Titans", and no it has nothing to do with Greek mythology.

I've been thinking of writing a story for Last Exile. It is still an idea so not sure if I should pursue it. Too many things to do anyway. I could also restart my Hellsing story. I was also writing a Fate/Stay Night story but I need to work out some finer details. Someone wanted me to continue with my Nanoha story... Sigh, anyway, I'll go onto another project only after this story is done. The side stories can be posted whenever I get something done.


	36. Chapter 36

A/N: Aha, guess the clues this time round were too obvious. Well, I will not spoil much but the time for the SSS to arrive is drawing close. Think... **BIG**

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 36_

_A Cold Relief  
_

_Topside_

"The enemy is pushing forward!"

"Our left flank is being over-run!"

"We're down on supplies! Do have a link to Guild yet? !"

"There aren't enough bandages for the wounded!"

These were the reports that she had to listen to for the past seven hours. Seven hours of pure hell. Her World was crumbling all around her and she could not do anything. She was just one girl. One small, frail girl who took up the crown of leadership. What can she do? She hated herself for this weak state she was in. Hated herself to lose foresight and ending up in this situation. Hated herself... because she had to. She lifted the ice bag off her head and sat up. Her brain still pounded heavily against her skull, her heart feeling as though it had been pierced by multiple knives and being burned alive. Every muscle in her body screamed in pain and agony. But she did not show it. She let it all go on within her own body. She stared up at the ceiling, wondering what time was it. The attacks started during the middle of the day and now the sky was already dark.

This was the longest battle they had faced thus far and it was also becoming the costliest. She sat up, despite the objections that her body was telling her and winced at the pain. Swinging her legs off the desk, she got up and looked around the small room. She had been lying on the desk that had been made into a bed for the past... what, two hours? The room only had one sofa besides the desk she lay on and on the sofa lay one SSS2 captain. Probably moved to this sofa in this room as there weren't any more beds else where to put the wounded or the dead. The sounds of gunfire, explosions and people running around were still prevalent despite being muffled through the walls.

She spotted her belongings at the side of the room, on top of a crate of rations, and walked over there to pick them up. Putting on her beret and throwing her blazer over her shoulders, she grabbed her cane and walked towards the exit of the room. Taking a pause and deep breath, she opened the door and stepped outside in the corridor. A corridor of madness. Injured and dead lay everywhere in the corridor. Medics rushing to and fro with medical supplies and whatever things they can use as replacements. An injured soldier was bandaged with jersey, another was using his rifle as an arm sling. A medic used an empty magazine to boil water with a heater at one corner. An Assault division member was loading nothing but air into his magazine, tired and mad from the fighting. A Fort member rolled a dead SSS2 member to one side of the floor and lay down to sleep next to the body. No one seemed to take notice of such things any more Things that would normally be seen as insane, dangerous or unthinkable suddenly became an everyday thing. Something that can be seen everywhere and no one would give it a second thought.

"Yuki-sama? You shouldn't be up."

She turned around and saw a medic walking up to her. The medic had large eye bags and sore eyes. His skin was pale and his lips were dry. He looked like a zombie more than a human being. But maybe in definition they were all zombies.

"After you used your skills, you should rest for at least five hours."

The medic said, taking out a few pills from his medical pouch. At first she thought they were for her but the medic popped them into his own mouth and swallowed them without water.

"Sorry, its just that I haven't gotten any rest since yesterday Thought I could take a rest today but the attacks suddenly came. Anyway, I need to check on your health. Do you mind?"

He asked, taking out a small flash light. She shook her head and allowed the medic to approach her. He shone the dim light of the flash light into her eyes a few times and kept it. He reached out and held her hand, measuring her pulse.

"... You're pushing it, Yuki-sama."

He said, letting go of her hand. So, he knew that she hasn't fully recovered.

"I would recommend a full bed's rest but I can't stop you. And to be honest, we need the beds for others."

"... Is the situation that bad?"

She asked. The medic raised an eyebrow at her before sighing.

"I guess I'm just too tired. Forgive my rudeness but if you take a look around, you can pretty much guess our status."

"... I see."

She replied. Everyone was tired and so with them being cranky, well that was a given.

"Where is Ein?"

She asked, seeing as how the tall leader of the Assault division wasn't around when she woke up. He usually would be though.

"Ein? He's over by the walls, doing his tenth guard duty in a row. That guy has more wounds than an entire squad put together and he still refuses medical aid. If I could, I would get every single medic to restrain him and knock him out cold to get his body some rest. Too bad we're all too tired and busy to even bother."

The medic muttered, reaching into his pouch and popping a few more pills. The walls. So that would be where she would head to next.

"... Thanks."

She muttered, turning to walk off. But just as she was about to turn at the corner, the medic called out to her.

"Hey, Yuki-sama! Here, catch!"

He shouted as he threw a container at her. Catching it, she saw that it contained the same pills as the medic was eating just now.

"Good luck!"

He shouted and turned to walk away. Looking down at the pills, she decided that it would be best to take one. Popping one into her mouth, she gathered enough courage and swallowed the pill whole. It was slightly hard to go down, considering that her throat was parched. She did not know what the pill does, but it would not be that dangerous, considering that the medic was swallowing five every two minutes or so. A strange tingling sensation washed over her. Her mind became more focused and her muscles more relaxed. What was this pill? Since when did such a drug become available?

"... Must be Yuuko at work."

She muttered, feeling slightly worried about the drug now that she had taken one. It may help her now, but she had learned to be cautious and wary of any possible miracles. After all, in her World, miracles don't occur.

"... Dammit."

She slammed her fist into the wall, feeling frustrated and angry. Why did the memories of her past have to come up now? The 'disease'. The pain and agony of everyone in her town suffering from the illness. Why was she not affected? Why did she have to face such painful sorrow of watching everyone else die but her? And... those bastard who came after the entire event. She shook her head, clearing her thoughts from her head. It was in the past. Thirty years had past since she first came to this World. Though she could never forget the past, she thought she managed to walk away from it. But it seems she can never truly get away from it.

"... Ein..."

She needs to find him. Ein always knew what to say to get her straight again. He knew what to do. To her, Ein's words worked way better than what those pills do. She continued to walk along the corridors and finally reached the exit. Looking outside the glass doors, she saw that it was still snowing outside. This crazy weather was only the beginning. If only she had trusted her instincts to launch an attack back then... Maybe... just maybe none of this would have happened. She pushed the doors open and stepped out, shivering slightly at the sudden drop in temperature. Her frosted breath now visible as she blew into her hands to make them warm. She took a look around to get a grasp on her surroundings. She had passed out after using her skills too often in providing cover for the escaping SSS2 members. She remembered that she and Ein stayed behind to cover the retreating Fort members and that they were being pushed back into the forest when she blacked out. She had no idea on the situation at hand.

She turned around and saw that she just came out of the Assault division's main medical centre. The Assault Division's forest encampment had developed from a shabby little camp with tents and camp fires, to a bustling fort complete with state of the art training facilities and defensive walls within a matter of months. If by bustling you mean the large numbers of wounded and tired SSS2 fighters. The mood in the encampment was depressing and dead. It was in the very air she breathed in. The Assault Division's encampment comprised of twenty barracks, three medical centres, ten supply warehouses and fifteen garages. Yuuko had requested Ein to build those garages as she had told him that when her tanks were ready (if they ever could be), they needed to be properly maintained for and kept warm and sheltered. At the moment those garages held onto military trucks so they were useless at the moment. She trudged on through the thick snow, trying not to mind the painful chill of the snow biting into her legs.

She saw a Fort member shovelling snow from the entrance to one of the warehouses though it seemed to her that he had been digging at the same spot for hours with no sign of progress at all. She continued to walk through the thick snow, heading towards the great wall of the encampment. The wall was a simple name given to the surrounding metal walls that encircled the entire encampment. Towering three storeys high and being about five metres thick all around, the wall was one of the greatest engineering feats that Yuuko made, especially since she had it made in less than a week and it did not explode. The wall also had defensive machine gun turrets, manned by Assault division troops.

This time, however, it seemed that those turrets were not enough as she could see multiple machine gun nests being built up on the walls next to the turrets, filling in the gaps in between each turret. The spacing between each turret was only three metres apart, and yet Fort members managed to pile up enough sandbags to put up two more machine gun nests within that three metre spacing. Snipers were also patrolling the top of the walls, evident by their large black cloaks that singled them out from the rest of the Assault Division. Mortar teams were also stationed behind the wall though they were less focused than the defenders up on the wall. Maybe it was due to the fact that they could not see the enemy straight on? Maybe they had thought everything was hopeless now. She reached the wall and spotted a ladder leading up to the parapet. She winced slightly at the biting cold of the frozen metal against her bare skin, but ignored it and climbed the ladder to the top of the wall. Once she the top, several members of Fort who noticed her tried to stand up in her presence, but their energy levels were too low and so they struggled to even get to their feet. She raised a hand to them.

"It's alright. Back to your post."

She said and the soldiers went back to their duties, showing some relief in their eyes. She walked along the top of the wall, looking for any signs of her close confidant, Ein Shrewerz. But after searching for nearly half of the entire wall, and still no sign of Ein, Yuki became slightly worried and nervous. Where did Ein go? Was he killed? Did he go off for a break? Did he drop off the wall while dozing off? Scenarios kept playing in her head, making her more agitated, more confused, more worried, and it showed clearly in her actions. Her eyes kept darting from one point to another. Her pace was hurried, erratic, unplanned and unbalanced. She kept looking for him, for Ein. But he was nowhere. Just where did he go? She tried to ask the sentries on duty, but came up with answers no different from her own.

"The commander? Not sure."

"Last I saw him, he went to the South part of the Wall... Or was it the North?"

"Probably went off to eat."

These were the types of answers she got, despite asking so many people.

"Are you sure you haven't seen him?"

She questioned the last sentry again, pressing him for answers.

"I'm sure, ma'am. No one had seen him since dinner time, and that was two hours ago."

The sentry replied casually.

"And no one bothered to check?"

She asked, her tone slightly strained.

"It's the commander. His habits are like Yuuko-san's, wild and unpredictable. Unless of course, there is food involved, then his every move is like clockwork."

Her patience was running thin with this sentry.

"Do you know his last known whereabouts?"

She asked, hoping to get at least some sensible information out of this dimwit before she puts a bullet in-between the eyes. And two more bullets into the eyes. The sentry rubbed his chin in thought, before pointing back in the direction she came from.

"Last I heard, the Eastern wall was taking quite a few hits from sudden surprise attacks by Shadows. Rikku from the Little Busters led a team to secure that location but the commander seemed to be heading that direction as well."

"East... right."

She did not bother to say anything else, in fear that she would not be able to control herself and kill this sentry if he should utter one more useless word. However, upon reaching the Eastern wall, she came across the same problem.

"The commander? He did come by to give aid during the attack but... oi, Motoharu! Do you know where the commander went?"

The sentry on guard there shouted over to another sentry who was fortifying his cover with more sand bags. The sentry looked up and shook his head.

"Nope. He just went off without a word."

The second sentry replied, going back to his work. Now she was getting even more worried.

"Have you tried raising him on the comms network? We managed to get a close circuit line working within the encampment but very few people still have access to the old network lines. Let me try hailing him."

The sentry tapped his wrist watch a few times, but his furrowed brows only gave her more despair than hope.

"Sorry ma'am, but it seems our comms channels are down again. The batteries need to be recharged every few minutes. Might as well not have this network."

She did not bother to ask about the network. All she needed was to find Ein. She walked off, ignoring the calls of the sentries as her mind was now filled with dreaded thoughts and questions.

"Calm down, Yuki. He could be anywhere."

She muttered to herself, attempting to calm herself down though her actions did not change.

"Maybe he went for dinner? Maybe he fell asleep?"

She tried to think of other scenarios that did not involve the worst possible cases.

"Maybe... he went to the toilet?"

She stopped to ponder that thought.

"Don't even think about that!"

An angry voice shouted just as something came crashing down on her head.

"OW! Who did-"

She turned around and stopped mid-sentence. Standing before her was the person she was looking for. Standing at least two metres tall, wearing his militarized version of the SSS2 uniform, and having a bag of food in one hand, was the leader of the Assault division. Ein Shrewerz.

"Ein..."

"Yeah, it's me. Who did you think it was?"

Ein asked, raising an eyebrow as he ruffled his hand into the bag and pulled out a stick of yaki-tori to eat.

"Ein..."

"Yeah? You called for me, didn't you? Still, can't believe you actually asked half of the entire wall and nobody knew where I went. I was pretty sure I told at least half of my company that I was going to eat. I guess I told the wrong guys again."

Ein pondered, chewing on the meat on the the stick while deep in thought.

"Ein..."

"Maybe the network was down. This would be the fifth time in an hour. I keep reminding those store guys to charge up the batteries properly before using them. Though that might take longer for us to wait before using them, at least each usage would be longer."

"Ein..."

"Or maybe we should try to conserve them for an attack? But that would defeat the purpose of having a network if we can't communicate of where and when an attack would occur."

"Ein..."

"Maybe we could add more scouting parties outside the walls. I know Kyou and Suou are both reluctant for this option, but we can't afford another surprise attack on the scale of what we faced just now. We would lose the wall."

"Ein..."

"And we could also-... Yuki? You've been muttering my name on and on. It's getting creepy."

Her body trembling as her nails dug deeper into her palms. She would call out his name no matter how many times it took. Her thoughts, her emotions in turmoil.

"Ein... Ein... Ein..."

"O-oi... Yuki?"

"Ein... Ein... Ein..."

"Y-Yuki? Are you alright-"

"EIN YOU BIG IDIOT! A-HOU! BAKA!"

She screamed out of the blue, throwing one punch at him straight into his abdomen. That one punch held all of her tears, fears, pain, sorrow, despair, joy, relief, happiness. It was also enhanced with the Angel Program, effectively making it have the same force as a five ton truck ramming into Ein.

**BOOM**

The leader of the Assault division flew a good ten yards, crashing into a machine gun nest and straight through and into one of the auto-cannon turrets. Good thing the people in this area were all on break and no one else was around. Slowly getting up, Ein shook his head to disperse the stars that he was seeing dancing around his head. He may not look like much, but Ein had his fair share of enduring her crazy outbursts enough to build up some form of immunity and resilience against them.

"Ite-te-te-te... that hurts you know?"

You don't say. She stomped over to him, her bangs covering her eyes.

"You idiot!"

She said, slamming her fist into him once more. But this time he was prepared, and she had released all of her pent up stress in that one punch before, so he was only pushed back a few inches. But she persisted, continuing to slam her fists into his body as she scolded him with more profanities.

"Baka!"

One more punch and one more inch.

"A-hou!"

Another punch, another inch.

"Nitwit!"

Punch, inch.

"Why? ! Why weren't you there? !"

That caught Ein's attention and her last punch was... weak. Her soft hiccups that soon became sobs. Her head hit his abdomen as she silently cried in his shirt.

"Yuki..."

"I was afraid... Afraid that I would lose you..."

Her sobs made her voice tremble as all of her worries came out without her control.

"..."

"No more... I don't want it... I don't want to lose any more friends... I don't want to lose anything any more.."

Ein simply kept silent as he stood there, with her crying and soaking his shirt as the snow slowly started to pile up once more. He was one of the very few people who knew what happened to her in her lifetime. She rarely told anyone about it, said it showed weakness, that it would only choose to slow her down. Only Yuuko, Kou and himself knew of this dark truth. Personally, he did not remember anything about her incident in his lifetime. It could be one of those incidents where they came from different 'Worlds', or a different 'time line'. She could even be from his 'time line's future'. He would not know anything about that, but what he knew was that she had suffered tremendously. His past was considerably easy-going compared to hers. Most of theirs were.

"Yuki..."

He wanted to say something to comfort her. But what could he say that he has not said before? They had been together in this war for over thirty years now, close to forty years. Forty years. That was a real long time. They would be close to their retirement age by now if they were all still alive. Still alive. that was a luxury no one had any more They all died. All left the World of the living and came to this hell-hole. She, being one of the eldest here, had seen everything, been everywhere. She had shouldered his entire organization for three decades. What was there for him to say to her? Nothing. He could not say anything to comfort her. He knew that she was already breaking her limit. She was being consumed by her grief, her despair, her insanity. Slowly being devoured by the darkness within her heart. Slowly, bit by bit, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He looked up to the dark sky, watch as the snow continued to slowly drift down to the ground, listen to her soft sobs against his chest. Was this all over? Was this how it was meant to end?

"Oi, Ein, there you are."

A voice called out. She quickly stepped back, turning around with her back facing him. He sighed, shaking his head as he turned to face the new comer. A violet haired young woman walked over with a bag of tako-yaki and one stick in her mouth. She noticed the carnage of the defensive system and raised an eyebrow.

"Ein... What were you doing?"

She asked warily.

"Kyou, it's nothing."

He quickly said. His second in command, Major Fujibayashi Kyou, still did not believe him.

"What are you hiding?"

She quizzed him, then she saw that standing behind Ein was her.

"... Oh, I see."

Kyou nodded in understanding. She offered him her bag of food.

"Here, to replace what you lost."

She said, using the stick in her mouth to pick her teeth. That was very uncouth for a girl. Ein took the bag and and looked inside. There still were some food left.

"Thanks."

He said gratefully. Kyou sighed, walking over to the rubble of machine guns and turrets and placed her hand over them.

"You would have taken them off me even if I did not offer them. Access: Creation."

Kyou muttered as a soft glow emitted from her palm. The machine gun nests and auto-cannon turrets somehow started to re-assemble themselves back into the forms they once were before Ein crashed into them. She stood back up, clapping her hands together as though she was dusting them off.

"There. That should be good for at least another attack wave. Not that we should push it. I'll get a team to replace them soon."

Kyou said, turning her attention back to Ein who was already wolfing down the snacks she passed to him.

"Du fe hap ani repufesh-"

"SWALLOW BEFORE TALKING!"

Kyou shouted at him. Ein took a moment to properly chew his food at an impossibly fast rate and swallowed them hard.

"Ah... as I was saying, do we even have replacements?"

He asked once more. Kyou sighed, shaking her head.

"No, we don't. But we're trying to get Okuta to make us more. He is the closest thing we have to a Guild at the moment. Still, he is only one guy and he is already exhausted beyond death just by making us additional weapons and ammunitions."

"So... how many times did he die?"

"Five in the last hour. Have to admire his dedication to making so much for us, but if it kills him so many times, we have no idea what will happen if this drags out."

Kyou muttered grimly. Either way, the situation was looking extremely bad.

"We cannot push him any further. It may jeopardize our defences, but get Okuta to rest. Get all sergeants and above who can use the program to do more patrols and sentry duties. Conserve as much ammunition and stores as possible."

Ein said.

"I've already done that, but our line is spread too thin. In addition, a number of people are starting to feel an 'out-lost'."

Kyou reported. This was really not good. An 'out-lost' was a term used by the higher-ups when someone who utilizes the program is starting to lose their connection to the program's core, thereby losing their powers that come from it. It posed no threat to the user, but it was a serious problem when it comes down to the middle of fights. And it is a serious problem now.

"It could be due to this strange weather we've been having. Could be some sort of jamming field the Angels have deployed."

Kyou tried to explained, looking up to the dark sky. It could be. This strange weather was the beginning of a lot of strange things. One of them being the increase number of 'out-losts'.

"... We cannot risk another attack on our walls, Kyou. I hope you have some sort of plan other than patrols outside the wall."

Kyou shook her head in dismay.

"Sorry, I don't. I just sent out the last patrol with Tomoyo in charge. They should not run into any problems with her around, but as it stands, morale is at a new record-breaking all-time low, ammunitions and supplies are going to be in a negative zone, if ever possible, and the number of injured and dead the medical wards are having can possibly beat the number of digits in pi."

"... Those are really impossible outcomes."

"I know, but they are happening now."

Kyou said, crossing her arms.

"Sigh, so in short we're in deep shit."

"So, it was that obvious?"

Kyou asked sarcastically.

"Kyou, now is not the time for games."

Ein muttered, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Aw, when is it ever? Fine, I'll just leave it. Oh yeah, I was to pass a message to Yuki-san if I saw her."

That perked her interest. She turned around slightly to hear.

"Iori wanted to know if you wanted velvet or fur for a sofa."

"Kyou!"

"Sorry sorry."

Kyou smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry about that, Yuki-san. Iori actually wanted to know if you wanted to oversee the reports that he had gathered. While you were out cold, Iori worked with me and sent out Wolf teams to scout out possible areas where survivors and hidden supplies might be, as well as gathering information of enemy locations and movement."

"..."

She simply stood there. Staring blankly.

"Yuki? Are you alright?"

Ein asked, waving his hand in front of her face. No response.

"Look at what you did. Now she's stoned out of her mind from disbelief. You can't just tell a joke to Yuki. She's not the type to take things lightly."

"Eh? But she's always telling sarcastic remarks and cold jokes. I mean, Kou more or less developed her extreme sense of sarcasm because she hung out with Yuki-san too much."

Kyou retorted back. By what she meant was Kou's personality before the battle of Big Site.

"Yuki is the type to tell jokes, not receive them."

But then...

"Pfft..."

A small giggle from her. That caught Ein by surprise, making him to turn around to see her trying to contain her own laughter.

"I-... I'm sorry... pfft... b-but... I-it just cracks me up...ha ha.. ha ha ha... HA HA HA HA!"

She suddenly burst out laughing loudly, clutching her stomach as she began to laugh and laugh almost non-stop.

"Ah... oops, think I hit a funny bone."

Kyou said, watching as she suddenly fell to the floor, laughing hysterically and uncontrollably.

"Velvet or fur? How can that be so funny?"

Ein scratched his head as he watched her continue to ball out laughing like a maniac. Or maybe... she was converting her pain into laughter. Who knows? Well, it is much better than her crying on his shirt and soaking it with her tears. But now she was laughing almost uncontrollably. What was he going to do with this laughing Queen of Fort?

"Kyou... do something about this."

He sighed.

"Eh? Me?"

"It was your fault that she ended up like this! So you fix it!"

"Tch... but still, it wasn't intentional."

At that moment, a loud blaring siren pierced through the relative silence of the night with its warning sounds. The sirens was closely followed the sounds of explosions at the other end of the encampment. The once quiet and almost dead camp suddenly came alive with SSS2 soldiers all rushing out of their buildings, grabbing rifles, rocket launchers and such. Supply crates were pushed out of warehouses into the open and kicked open. The ammunition inside each crate were quickly claimed by the hurrying fighters and additional crates had to be brought out constantly as more soldiers poured out from the medical buildings, covered with bloodied bandages, festering wounds, deep scars and even illnesses. Though they were injured or wounded, they still pushed themselves to be part of the fighting force.

"Ein! This is bad! We need to go!"

Kyou said. Ein nodded in agreement and tossed the bag of left over snacks away.

"You're right. Head over to the other end and see what needs to be done. Activate all available units and protect the wall at all cost!"

Ein ordered. Kyou snapped to attention and saluted Ein as she shouted-

"YES SIR!"

Without a moment's hesitation, she jumped off the edge of the parapet, down into the encampment and sped off towards the other side of the base.

"Yuki, we should go-"

Ein turned to her but found that the Queen of Fort was still clutching onto her stomach, that unnatural and uncontrollable smile on her face as she tried to stop herself from laughing.

"... Sigh, guess you should stay back. You haven't fully recovered yet. Don't worry, we'll get through this."

Ein said before jumping off the wall and down into the encampment.

"ALL HANDS TO THE EASTERN WALL! MOVE IT!"

He shouted to the SSS2 members before running off towards the attack himself. She stood there, still clutching her stomach. Her smile had dropped. She stood up straight, looking at the far end of the encampment. Explosions and gunfire all came from there. But what was missing? She looked down and saw her hand. Cold, unfeeling, numb. Was it from this cold freezing weather? Or was it something else? She closed her fist and her eyes. Thoughts were now back in order. No more wavering conviction. No more doubts. She fought because she had to. She fought because it was the only thing she could do. And now? Now was no different from before. Nothing has changed the status quo. She is the Queen of Fort. But even though it was the same as before, something was different. Something was new. She opened her eyes, those emerald eyes filled with renewed vigour, conviction... and darkness. Insanity was consuming her but she did not care. This will be the final end. She gripped her beret and took up her cane.

"... Now it's time."

* * *

A/N: At this current point it is getting confusing on the forces. Here is a quick break down on the forces at current (I will not spoil any that are not known)

_**Guild Division / Guard 1 / Iron Storm  
Leader: Kusanagi Yamato  
Sub leaders: Yamamoto Takanari, Senjougahara Shinobu, Goudatera Takako  
Total Strength: 70,000**_ _**active / 20,000 injured** **or dead**_ _**/ 10,000 unaccounted**_

Guild:  
-The Guild division makes up the bulk of the SSS2, having more people than any other division but they are not trained as soldiers and most have little to no experience in a fight. Having lost connection to the outside as well as losing their Division leader, Guild now rallies together under the banner of Kusanagi Yamato

Guard 1:  
-A collection of highly skilled operatives from all divisions who were inspired and are trained by Guardian member, Kusanagi Yamato. While as skilled as Yamato, they have proven themselves fearless in front of all adversities, thus earning their place as Yamato's specialized elite shock troops

Iron Storm:  
-The Assault Division's Heavy squad is responsible for any large weapons that cannot be operated normally as well as donning armour that is twice as thick as others. They were all down in Guild by the time the initial attacks took place. Cut off from their Division, the Heavy squad came together with Guild and now joins Kusanagi Yamato's forces.

**_Assault Division / Fort Division / Others_**  
**_Leader: Taeno Yuki, Ein Shrewerz_**  
**_Sub leaders: Fujibayashi Kyou, Hasegawa Iori_**  
**_Total Strength: 25,000 active / 50,000 injured or dead_ _/_ _60,000 unaccounted_**

Assault:  
-The main fighting force of the SSS2, they have trained for years to fight their enemies. Under the leadership of Ein, they have more or less become an elite fighting force that would put most military forces of the real World to shame. During the initial attack (dubbed D-day), Assault had lost a good number of men and women trying to push back the enemy. When the retreat signal was given, they provided cover for the retreating members of Fort. They have since retreated back to their heavily fortified camp in the forest

Fort:  
-The central command for the SSS2, Fort members boast the best defenses as well as having produced some of the best fighters in the organization. Fort's defenses were indeed impenetrable by any attack but having lost Fort had dealt a crippling blow to both their numbers and their morale. The elite fighting force of Fort, the Wolves, had lost a good number of personnel covering the retreat of Fort members into the forest. Their numbers are few and their morale is the lowest in the camp, especially after seeing their leader collapse into a coma after using her skills.

Others:  
-Not all who escaped into the forest were from Assault and Fort. Members of Guild, Diversion and Intelligence had also retreated back to the forest as they were in the area during the time of D-day and thus chose to flee rather than find their own divisions. They make up the minority in the camp and help out with any task available to them to help out.

_**Angel Rebels**_  
_**Leader: Katsuragi Rei**_  
_**Sub leaders: Saya, Kai**_  
_**Total Strength: 400**_

Angel:  
-Converted and upgraded by Rei, these elite fighting NPCs listen only to the administrator, Rei, and would fight to the death if ordered to. They are each on par with a Class B Angel.

_**SSS (International)  
Leader: Sakurai Yuri, Kamiya Yuzuru  
Sub leaders: ?  
Total Strength: ?**_

SSS:  
-The previous generation of the SSS, now coming back to the Afterlife to correct the wrongs of the World. While they do not possess the same experience in war as the SSS2, they bring with them technical know-how, abilities and upgrades that the SSS2 are unable to produce. All of this is due to their access to the Angel Program through Otonashi Yuzuru. Being still alive, their souls are also sturdier and have higher resistance to 'death' in the Afterlife. The SSS (Japan) is now joined with an international force of like-minded individuals who shared the same experience in their own ways. This force was put together by Kamiya Yuzuru.

_**Guardians**_  
_**Leader: Kurogane Kou**_  
_**Total Strength: 20**_

Guardians:  
-The most elite and ferocious fighters in the SSS2, also known as the reapers, have been around since the battle of Big Site. Their tactics and weapons are a testament to their fearsome power and respect their commanded. Three hours before D-Day, they initiated Operation: Overload (details on operation unknown) and have since gone dark. No one knows whether they are still alive or not.

**_Intelligence_**  
**_Leader: Tatsume Kenji_**  
**_Sub leader: Testarossa Iris_**  
**_Total Strength: ? (Last known 50,000)  
_**

Intelligence:  
-The eyes and ears of the SSS2, they were the best spy network and almost nothing could slip through their attention, even if it was an NPC wearing a wig and using the washroom. However they have never seen eye-to-eye with Fort or Assault, thus resulting in multiple break-downs in their relationship. During D-Day, Assault received a distress call from the Intelligence Division headquarters in the Library that they were under siege. However Assault was unable to launch a rescue operation and no communication had been established since then.

**_Diversion_**  
**_Leader: Kinoji Awase_**  
**_Sub leader: Jinnai_**  
**_Total Strength: ? (Last known 80,000)_**

Diversion  
-The only reason why the SSS2 never got into as much trouble with the NPCs and the World is all due to the Diversion division. They have the best abilities to cloak and mask any activity the SSS2 are doing with a wide and strange array of activities that can go from holding rock concerts to explode water bombs in the teacher's lounge. During the attack of D-Day, Diversion took the largest hit of all Divisions, sacrificing themselves to draw large concentrations of enemy forces away from the retreating divisions. Now scattered, no one is clear where the bulk of Diversion division is, if they survived at all.


	37. Chapter 37

A/N: Sorry for the delay, got some writer's block. Hopefully nothing drastic happened while I was mulling over my lack of ideas... actually, something did happen, but I kind of forgot what did.

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 37_

_The Madness_

She loaded a clip into the magazine, pausing to look at the weapon in her hand. It has been so long since she last held a gun. Her soul may remember it, but her body didn't. She may need to readjust herself to it. She looked up and saw the others picking weapons off the racks that lined in infinite rows within this endless white space. This was very much like a certain movie called "The Ma*rix". That 'Otonashi' had disappeared before the others arrived, apparently not wanting to be seen by them. But what he said to her before he went had made her quite disturbed.

_One hour before_

"The connection to the program?"

She asked. Otonashi nodded his head.

"Yes, a large number of the current SSS2 have linked themselves to the program, but their method of connection is crude and deep. So deeply connected that any flaws in the program would affect them, in addition, their own emotions may serve to drive them further down the path of insanity. The corruption is spreading faster and more deadly."

"... So, what are we suppose to do? You wanted to let your own guy deal with the SSS2."

Otonashi nodded with a smile.

"Yes, I did. I still have faith in my creation to finish the job, but the main problem is still the program. I cannot risk my NPC getting corrupted by shutting down the program, so I will have to ask you to take of the problem. The Angel program is comprised of two main parts, the core and the server. Both must be taken care of properly and at the same time, otherwise those connected to the program will lose their souls. If you only shut down one, the other will simply reboot and both will still be operational."

"So how are we suppose to take care of it?"

She wondered. Otonashi reached into his pocket and pulled out a small disc.

"Load this into the server. It will cause a virus to spread and open up a small window of delay to allow you to shut down both. Remember, the core must be shut down properly, don't carelessly shoot them like last time."

"Fine fine... but what if the two are too far apart?"

Otonashi tapped his chin in thought. Had he not considered that possibility?

"If that's the case, you will need to split up. I will not doubt that my two failed creations will be guarding each one, but there is no other choice."

_Present_

Split up. That would be tough, considering on the situation. She looked up and saw that Kamiya had just walked over to her, armed with rifles and guns. It was odd, seeing him being armed once more. Behind him was Kanade, she too bearing up arms. That was another odd thing to see. From her memories, Kanade never used guns. Well, guess there was always a first for everything.

"Ready Yuri?"

Kamiya asked.

"... Always."

* * *

"TO THE WALL!"

Explosions all around them. The very Earth seemed scream out in terror, quaking in fear with each explosion.

"Enemies in the open!"

Those dark red eyes. Those eyes of the enemy that held despair, darkness, pain and suffering.

"Take them out!"

Bullets flying everywhere. The rain of bullet casings hitting the ground.

"Our flank is going to be overrun!"

"Don't let them up the walls!"

This was hell. Simple as that.

"Access: Bookmarker"

The pages of the book in her hand flew out and created the shape of a giant sword. Formed within her hand, solidified into a giant real sword. She brought the blade around, swinging at the enemies before her, sweeping the shadows off the wall, making them fly far away. Panting and heaving heavily as the blade in her hand dispersed back into pages that floated gently down to the ground. She looked around, seeing the other SSS2 members fighting back at the waves of enemy that never seemed to end. She dared to peer over the parapet to the outside of the wall. She almost regretted it. Like a sea of black mist, their enemies came. Thousands of Shadows, each with their dark mist-like bodies and their deep blood red eyes that dotted the entire dark forest as numerous as the snow flakes that fell from the sky. They may not make it.

"AAAHHH!"

She turned around and saw one SSS2 Assault member on the ground, standing over him was a Shadow ready to devour him. She will not let that happen. She sprinted towards him, pushing aside the other members in her way as she brought out a stone from her pouch.

"Access: Creation: Book"

She muttered and the stone glowed, transforming into a hard-covered thick book. The book opened in her hand as the pages begun to flip through themselves.

"Access: Seven Hundred Page History"

The pages flew out of the book in her hand and shot out towards the Shadow like bullets, stabbing and piercing the enemy.

"Access: Black Keys"

More pages flew out of the book and started to form swords. Throwing aside the now empty book, she grabbed the six swords in-between her fingers and charged at the Shadow, bringing her blades through the enemy when she got close enough. The Shadow screamed an inhumane scream before vanishing. The SSS2 sat there, trembling while watching her as the blades in her hand disintegrated back into pages and floated to the ground. She was losing energy, panting and wheezing. Her chest was tightening itself from the lack of air. Her mind was strained to its limits.

"T-This is the end! We're all going to die here!"

The SSS2 member was losing it, going hysterical. If she wasn't focused on fighting and surviving at the moment, she would too. But this was bad.

"We can't win this! This is the end-"

She grabbed him by his collar, using her strength to lift him up to his feet and butted heads with him, glaring straight into this eyes.

"No one is going to die! You understand me? ! You're a soldier of the Assault division! SO BLOODY HELL ACT LIKE ONE AND FIGHT!"

She pushed him into a machine gun nest where the SSS2 members manning it were blown up into a bloody mess. The SSS2 assault member stumbled and fell into the pool of blood and guts. The moment he realized what he was sitting in, he grew even more disturbed, but she slammed her foot right next to his face, stopping him from running away.

"WHERE THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING? ! THE ENEMY IS THERE SO SHOOT!"

She shouted at him. Trembling with fear, the Assault member got up to the gun and fumbled with the trigger but fired anyway. Good, at least now he was focused on the enemy. She turned around and saw the situation being hopeless. But she will not give up. Not now.

"REFORM THE LINE!"

She shouted, dragging soldiers who were cowering behind barricades up to their feet and pushed them towards the wall.

"DON'T LET THEM SCALE THE WALLS!"

She bent over and picked up a rifle that was left on the floor, rushing over to the wall and pointing her gun down, firing burst rounds at the Shadows attempting to climb their wall. The enemy was rushing at the wall like a tsunami, relentless and overpowering. She fired more rounds into a Shadow that tried to climb over the wall and kicked her boot into its face to force its body off the side.

"KEEP FIRING!"

She shouted, rallying the men together to the wall.

"PUSH THEM BACK!"

"I need more ammo!"

"Take out their spawners!"

She ducked under the wall to load her rifle and she saw that several soldiers were bringing up large barrels.

"POUR THE TAR OVER THEM!"

At her command, the assault members carrying large barrels of boiling tar ran over to the walls and threw the boiling substance down the walls, forcing the enemy to retreat from the wall.

"It isn't over! Keep the pressure up!"

"Ma'am! We're losing our Northern flank!"

A sudden report came. Things were getting real serious. She narrowed her eyes at the direction indicated in the report. She turned to a group of bloodied and tired assault troops. Now was not the time to rest.

"All of you, follow me!"

She shouted to the group and ran off towards the North wall. As she ran through the sections of the wall towards the North line, more Assault members joined her towards the North. And they were really needed. Reaching the North, she could see that they were overrun. Shadows were swarming onto the parapet of the wall, devouring screaming SSS2 members as they swept through the section and even started to pour down into the camp itself. She will not allow this to happen.

"Not on my watch."

She growled, turning to the soldiers that followed her.

"You! Take two squads down to the camp and make a full clean sweep! I don't those fowl things in my camp any more than they should be, understood? !"

She shouted, the Assault member snapped to salute.

"YES MA'AM."

"As for the rest of you. There are some real dirt bags staining my beautiful wall. I WANT THAT WALL CLEANED OUT AND SPARKLING, NOT A SINGLE PIECE OF DIRT LEFT, DO YOU GET ME? !"

"WE GET YOU MA'AM!"

The rest shouted in unison.

"Good! NOW CHARGE!"

She shouted, rushing ahead and leading the assault against the Shadows. She fired burst rounds from her rifle into the closest one, before ramming her entire body's weight in the next. Rolling to her feet, she took her rifle and rammed its butt into the gaping mouth of another Shadow, using the rifle to throw the Shadow off the wall. Reaching into her pouch, she pulled out another stone. She quickly transformed the rock into a new book and let the pages turn. At that moment, she noticed a Shadow from the far end open its mouth. A strange glow being emitted from within that mouth...-

"Shit! Access: Literature Wall"

The pages in the book flew out before her and formed a massive wall just as the Shadow unleashed a loud howling scream accompanied with a blast from its mouth. Like a energy beam, it shot out and impacted her giant wall, causing the wall of burn up and singe. But the wall held its shape. It scattered back into book pages once the blast was over, leaving her and the rest unscathed. But she was tired from using the skill. Creation type skills from the program required more energy from the user than enhancement types and she was already overworked from using the skill too many times. She reached into her pouch and grabbed another stone. The difficult part which uses up most of her energy was not her fighting skills, but rather the initial creation process.

The tiny rock in her hand did not hold the same mass as the books she needed to produce. In order to compensate for the lack of mass, she needed to pour additional energy into its creation. Her eyes eyed the pages scattered all over the ground. Once they were detached from their books, they could not be used. Except for one skill. But that skill would not only consume all of her remaining energy, but the last time she did that, she blacked out for a week. She was not willing to risk it until she had no other options left. Her fist clenched onto the rock in her palm tightly. She still had some energy left. She will continue to fight until she had wrung out everything her body had to offer. She raised the stone in her hand and it grew in size, becoming a book.

"Access: Black Keys."

The pages from the book flew out and formed long thin swords in-between her fingers. She rushed forward, hacking and slashing the enemies as she pushed forward. A Shadow managed to harden its skin, causing the Black Keys in her right hand to shatter upon impact. Black Keys were agile and light weapons, thus easily broken if met with tough resistance. She reached into her pouch, pulling out another stone. The stone transformed into another book.

"Access: Word of Truth."

The pages from the book flew out and attached themselves to the Shadow. Pages continued to attach themselves onto the Shadow until the entire Shadow was covered with pages from the book. The Shadow struggled against the pages that constrained it but the pages would not let go, rather it began to constrict, forcing the Shadow into a smaller size. Sounds of crunching, inhumane screams, and other disgusting noises came from the ever shrinking pages until it was nothing but a small ball. Kyou kicked the ball at a bunch of Shadows and the ball exploded into a fireball, consuming all in range. She spotted a whole new group of Shadows climbing over the walls. She will not let them take this wall! Slamming her palms onto the ground, she shouted:

"ACCESS: LITERATURE STORM"

Scattered pages from all over the floor flew up from the ground, hovering in the air before shooting forward in the form of a storm of bullets. The pages pierced the Shadows, cutting down their numbers by the hundreds. But it wasn't enough. It was never enough.

"Access... Creation-"

She stopped halfway as her body wrecked with pain. Her muscles burned as they were stretched beyond their limits. Her chest tightened, each breath she took felt like a sharp knife piercing her lungs and heart. Her knees buckled under the pain. Her grip loosened, the rock falling out of her hand. She had no weapon, no energy left, entire body in pain, surrounded by enemies. She tried to struggle, to reach out for that piece of rock. She tried as hard as her body could allow it, but... her hand fell short. The sounds of combat around her all dulled in her ears. The bullets that flew overhead were of no consequence. She wanted... to fight. She wanted... to push on. She wanted... to be in control of her own life. She never should have given up so easily. Why? Why was it always like this? It was the same back when she was alive.

"... Tomoya..."

His name escaped her lips. His image faintly appearing in her mind. Why? Why did she allow that to happen? She knew that Ryou loved him as well, so why did she give him up to Ryou just like that? Because she wanted the best for Ryou? No... because she was weak. She could not face Tomoya herself. She could not bring herself to confess her love for him. She lacked the confidence, the commitment, the determination. And because of that, it was too late for her. Even when Tomoya claimed that he had loved her as well... it was all too late. She could not turn back the hands of time. Ryou had taken him away from her. No... It wasn't that. Ryou did not take him away. It her own doing. She pushed him away. Why? Why couldn't she be honest with herself? Why did she have to hide behind so many layers of lies? Why did she have to hide her feelings under the mask of false smiles? Everything was suppressed underneath. What she wanted... was not what she was allowed to do. Her heart wanted to love him, but her body, her mind would not allow it. She had believed that she held no right to love him. Under what context? Under what stupid reasons was she not allowed to love him? **UNDER WHICH PRETENIOUS FUCKING REASONS WERE SHE NOT ALLOWED TO LOVE HIM? FUCKED UP FUCKING STUPID BULLSHIT REASONS**. That was what they were.

She could not face him because she was weak! She could not bring herself to step up in front of him because she failed to overcome the limitations of her frail mind, frail determinations. She came to this World, vowing to overcome her own weak will. And this... Was this the end of her power? Was all of her years of training all for naught? What happened to the pain? ! The anguish that she suffered? ! The torment that she went through all of these years? ! Tomoyo was wrong! **THAT BITCH WAS WRONG**! They weren't powerful enough! Not powerful enough to overcome this obstacle! Physically strong, yes, but mentally and emotionally? NO. Tomoyo claimed that she managed to find peace within herself. **BUT SHE ISN'T TOMOYO**. She can never be 'self-enlightened'. She only did what she knew best. She had trained all of these years, trying to put away the dark past of her life that haunted her in her sleep, in her dreams. They would not leave her alone. **EVERY FUCKING WAKING HOUR THEY TORMENTED HER! Lies... ALL LIES!**

"... Tomoya..."

No matter how much she trained,** IT WASN'T ENOUGH**! Her hand clawed through the snow. It was never enough. The sound of rain. The smell of lavender. The taste of salty tears. The feel of cold wet clothes clinging to her frail skin. Why... **WHY WASN'T IT ENOUGH**? ! **HADN'T THE GHOST OF HER GUILT AND REGRETS HAUNTED HER ENOUGH**? ! She tried to push them out, training and abusing her body physically just to focus her mind on something else. But why did this always have to happen? Why wasn't it ever enough? No matter how much she put in, it was never enough. Her hundred percent was short of fourty. Her two hundred percent would be short of eighty. Why did it always have to end up like this? Power. She hungered for it.

**CRACK**

The floor started to form cracks. Pressure was building up inside of her. Because she wanted it. More power. She wasn't like Tomoyo. She could not find the answer within herself to appease her pain and suffering. She wasn't that hard working. She just... went with the flow. She wasn't smart. She just... knew what to study. She wasn't strict. She just... wanted things to be normal. She was ordinary. Too ordinary. She wasn't like the rest of the girls whom Tomoya hung around with. She wasn't Nagisa, able to smile no matter how harsh reality had forced her life to be. She wasn't Kotomi, brilliant and a genius who could see things beyond her own small World. She wasn't... who was that weird girl in the party hat? No matter. She wasn't Tomoyo, striving and sacrificing everything to obtain what she wanted. She wasn't Ryou-... Wasn't Ryou. Because she wasn't Ryou she had given up. Because she could not get close to him. Because she could be with him through his pain. Because she could not comfort him. She was Kyou. Fujibayashi Kyou. Not Fujibayashi Ryou. She was Kyou... Kyou the class rep. Kyou the boar raiser. Kyou the book thrower. Kyou the violent. Kyou... the sister of Ryou. Just that... just a sister of Ryou. That was all she would amount to. That was the wall she could not climb. That was the wall that blocked her from moving on. She wanted to climb that wall. She wanted to so badly. She wanted to destroy that wall. She wanted that power. More than anything. Power. She needed more.

**CRUNCH**

The floor buckled under extreme pressure. More. She must have more power. Power... Power to overcome anything. Power to push away her pain. Power to smother the cries of her guilt. Of her despair. Her stomach churned. Pain filled her body. Her mind was in immense pain. But power. Power will overcome it. She just needed more. She vomited blood onto the floor. But she did not care for that either.

**Power.**

_She needed more._

**More**.

_The hunger._

**More.**

_The thirst. _

**More.**

_The craving. _

_**More.** _

_[Angel Program Access: Back-feed system engaged]_

_[Power Levels reaching critical levels]_

_[Corruption detected]_

_[Corruption levels reaching critical mass]_

_[Error detected]_

_[Error]_

_[Error]_

_[Error]_

_[System detecting damage to host]_

_[Host does not have enough space to contain power levels]_

_[Unable to contain power levels]_

_[Back-feed system abortion rejected]_

_[Host reaching critical levels]_

_[Emergency Protocol activated]_

_[Program Apocalypse: Initializing]_

The power... the corruption... is was taking over... the darkness...

"WAKE UP YOU BIG IDIOT!"

Wha-

**WHAM**

A large blow connected with the side of Kyou's face, sending her flying off for some distance before hitting the ground and rolling a few more yards. Her vision was filled completely with stars and a monkey's face, but she shook her head, clearing her vision as she sat up. Storming towards her, with a furious look on his face, was-

"E-Ein-"

"Don't 'Ein' me! What the FUCK were you thinking? !"

The leader of the Assault division demanded, pulling her to her feet by her collar.

"I-... What was I-"

She stammered. Her mind was not able to comprehend what he just said. Did what?

"You were so drunk on power you were nearly consumed by it!"

Ein shouted at her, his face contorted with anger. Anger? At her? Why?

"Po...wer..."

"You activated the back-feed system! Do you know how dangerous that is? ! What were you thinking? !"

"I-"

"ANSWER ME, FUJIBAYASHI KYOU!"

Ein's sharp tone snapped her back to her senses. The power. The thirst. She desired them. She was... drowning in her own despair?

"I... I couldn't... stop myself."

She muttered, closing her eyes in disgust of herself.

"Couldn't stop yourself? Just who do you think you are?"

"Wha-"

"DON'T BE SO DAMN CONCEITED, KID!"

With one mighty swing, Ein threw a punch at her, straight into her cheek. She flew a few feet, sprawling on the ground. She coughed, spitting out blood and a tooth.

"Get up... I SAID GET THE GOD DAMN UP!"

Ein shouted at her. She struggled to her feet, her strength was all gone. But she still forced herself to stand. She finally managed to stand on her two feet, looking straight up to a very angry Ein. She had never seen him this angry before. No... maybe once. That was when Yuki did something extremely stupid. Strange... she thought he only showed that face to Yuki.

"Let me ask you one more time. WHO ARE YOU? !"

He demanded.

"I... I am... Fujibayashi Kyou."

She answered, tasting the bitterness of her own blood in her mouth.

"And?"

"I... am the vice commander... of the Assault division."

"AND? !"

"I am the leader... of the War Boars."

"GOOD!"

Ein suddenly leaned back, before suddenly bending forward, sending his head straight into hers with one powerful head butt. The impact sent her back on the floor.

"I-teee!"

The pain that wrecked throughout her head was almost mind-blowing.

"Feel that? Good! That is the feeling of being alive! We may be dead, but our souls are still very much alive! You are the leader of an entire squad! An entire battalion of SSS2 troops! What sort of attitude are you showing when you succumb to something as easily as that? !"

Ein shouted at her as she slowly scrambled back to her feet.

"And also one more thing that you always seem to forget."

"?"

"Being a leader does not mean you have to shoulder everything. A leader is one who guides others, who shows the path that others should take, not take on the whole World on your own. You have subordinates here to help you, to share your burden. You are a leader, not a one man army. A leader is someone who has people who follow, people to help out, people to be there for you. Do you understand?"

Ein asked, offering a hand to her. She looked at his hand, then around her. All around her, SSS2 soldiers were fighting. Fighting with everything they got. They were all inspired. They were all determined. And her? She let herself be consumed by her own grief. Let herself be thrown into confusion. She wasn't alone in this fight. She never was. Her pain may be her own to bear, but this fight wasn't. She had comrades. She had friends. Ein smiled, liking the new found strength in her eyes.

"Good. Now get out there and fight. Sakagami is already back with reinforcements from the scouting parties, so just a little more and we'll be able to push the enemy off."

Ein said, picking up a rifle and tossing it to her. She grabbed the rifle and nodded.

"Yes sir!"

Ein watched her as she ran off. A strained smile crept onto his face.

"Good thing... she didn't notice."

He muttered, clutching onto his stomach. A small stain was starting to spread.

"Tch... that fight earlier really did a number on me... Talk about not following my own advice..."

Ein walked over to the wall, using it for support. Now everyone was so focused on the battle that no one noticed he was injured. This was for the best. They needed to fight on.

"I guess... I'll have to lie down for awhile-"

He stopped in mid-sentence as he saw a small figure running out from the wall. It wasn't a shadow, or an angel. That was...

"Yuki?"

Where was she going? And all by herself? Ein sighed, shaking his head, forcing himself to stand despite the pain it caused him.

"Looks like lying down would have to wait... man, I need to eat something."

* * *

A/N: And so it begins.


	38. Chapter 38

A/N: Sorry for the delay, some things just weren't clicking it right for me. Anyway, the battle is now going in full swing!

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 38_

_Battle for Fortress_

"Push them back!"

She shouted, throwing a punch straight at a shadow. The flat piston device on her forearm fired, sending additional impact to her punches. That one punch sent the Shadow flying straight into the air before it exploded.

"Don't let them get the upper hand!"

She rallied those around her, spurring them to push on against the tide of enemies that swarmed towards them. No matter what, they must retake the guns. They were essential to push back the tides. Without those guns, the enemy would just keep swarming up the walls without end. There must be at least a hundred spawner class Shadows out there. She shook her head to clear those negative thoughts away.

"It isn't about how many there are. Come on Tomoyo, you've gone through worse than this."

She muttered to herself, slapping her own cheeks to focus.

"Yosh!"

She ran towards the next Shadow, cocking back her fist and throwing it at the enemy. Her weapon, a pair of long fingerless gloves, called Conviction. The glove ran from her hand all the way to her elbow. Adorned with a metal plate on top of her palms, it was meant to add impact to her punches. Attached to the gloves on the forearms were flat rectangular tracks that held a metal bar powered by pistons. By throwing her punches forward, the piston would fire the bar across the track, adding kinetic energy into her punches. While she did not have the same piston devices for her legs, her boots had metal plating over the shoe cap and heel. Her shins were also protected by additional metal plating. This weapon, Conviction, was something that was made by her former student, Kisaragi Setsuna, before he went off on that dangerous mission for the Guardians. Being a Guardian, Setsuna had access to a lot of privileges and technological supplies. These gloves were one of them. Together with her own Programs of enhancements, her attacks were like atomic explosions compacted into punches and kicks.

_'"It isn't much, but I've been putting together a weapon for you, Sakagami-sensei."'_

He smiled sheepishly when he handed her the Conviction gloves.

_'"I've been learning some basic weapons crafting from Himura-san and I immediately set about making these for you. They're thanks for all of the training you've given me."'_

He had often told her how those old worn out gloves of hers were too shabby. Perhaps he was right. She swung her leg at the head of Shadow. The moment she hit the shadow, she twisted her body, hooking the Shadow with her foot and slamming it into the ground. The impact caused a crater to form with the Shadow's head stuck into the ground before it disappeared into strings of numbers.

"Man those guns!"

She shouted as they managed to push the enemy forces back. Fort members immediately rushed towards the machine gun nests and auto cannons, despite the danger not being completely cleared, and used them against the enemy forces below the wall.

"Protect those gunners!"

She shouted, directing the assault members forward, but even with their fast based tactics, there just weren't enough of them to protect all of the gunners. Some were being devoured right before her eyes.

"IYAA!"

"Save me!"

"I don't want to die!"

She wanted to save them. She wanted to protect them. But she couldn't. They were too far off. Cut off from the rest of them, enemies between her and those brave Fort defenders. She could not reach them. All she could do was watch them be devoured. Watch as their bodies were slowly devoured by the darkness. Watch as they slowly disappeared. That feeling of them disappearing. It was hollow, cold, unforgiving. The darkness, the fear. Tomoya. It was like that dreaded day. The cold darkness. The emptiness of not him being there with her any longer.

"No."

She clenched her teeth so hard that her gums began to bleed. That's right. She promised herself to prevent the same pain happening to anyone. She promised him that she would be strong.

"I will not allow this to go on any further!"

She raised a fist, the piston device locking in position.

"Access: Earth-Shaker!"

She slammed her fist down into the ground, the piston in her glove firing off at the same time, causing giant cracks to form, streaking across the floor to the Shadows. The cracks soon split open, swallowing all enemies unfortunate enough to be in its range. She dashed forward, catching the remaining enemies by surprise.

"Access: Rampage!"

_[Power levels Up]_

_[Speed levels Up]_

_[Program Rampage; Initializing]_

She could feel the additional surge of power flowing through her from the program. Power that flowed throughout her body. She charged straight through the enemy ranks, her fist and feet flying out and knocking every enemy in her way even as she ran. Her right fist swung down with the might of twenty tonnes, the Shadow slammed into the ground. She jumped, twisting her body and bringing her left boot one long arc over and down onto the next Shadow. Using its body, she sprang off, using her knee and sending the third into the air. Extending that same leg, she crashed her boot into another Shadow, springing off its corpse and throwing a punch straight into the next. With the program of 'Rampage', her movements were all fast, swift, accurate, powerful, deadly. She did not stop in her run, destroying and plowing through the Shadows like a bulldozer.

"Tomoyo!"

A voice called out to her, making her stop after she slammed her boot into another Shadow. Looking up she saw reinforcements coming to her from the direction she was heading towards. Leading the reinforcements was none other than Fujibayashi Kyou. The leader of the War Boars main Assault force. Kyou emptied a few rounds into a Shadow before rushing up to Tomoyo. The two girls rushed at each other. Tomoyo swung her fist. Kyou fired her rifle. Tomoyo's fist smashed the Shadow behind Kyou into the ground. Kyou's rounds peppered the Shadow behind Tomoyo with holes. They backed up and had each other at their own backs.

"You're late."

Kyou muttered, spitting out some blood from her mouth. Tomoyo smirked, wiping her sweat from her brow.

"Well, it's still better than not coming at all. Where's Ein?"

"He disappeared. After giving me a pep talk and making me lose five teeth he had the guts to just disappear on us."

Two Shadows lunged at them. Tomoyo twisted her body and sent a round house kick into one Shadow. Kyou took the butt of her rifle and rammed it into the Shadow's face. They leaned back on each other's backs once their enemies were defeated.

"He gave you a pep talk?"

Tomoyo wondered.

"Yeah, and did I mention he made me lose teeth?"

"Besides that, where's Yuki?"

Tomoyo asked as she punched an attacking Shadow, sending it skyward.

"... You and your ridiculous mountain gorilla strength... As for Yuki-san, she disappeared as well."

"So... we're right now leaderless."

Tomoyo concluded, which Kyou reluctantly agreed to.

"Afraid that is the case now."

Kyou muttered, jamming a fresh clip into her rifle.

"You're next in line to lead, Kyou."

"Don't remind me."

"So? What is your plan?"

"..."

"... You don't have one."

"... No."

Tomoyo sighed in utter disbelief. Well, not complete utter disbelief. This was Fujibayashi Kyou. No matter which life she was in, she never really did have a solid plan put together. She was always more of a 'on-the-fly' type of person.

"... Tomoyo! Cover me!"

Kyou suddenly shouted, dashing forward.

"Wha- Wait!"

Tomoyo rushed after Kyou as the latter ran towards an Auto Cannon placement.

"What are you planning to do? !"

Tomoyo shouted as she punched a Shadow away from Kyou. Kyou pushed the half-devoured body of a SSS2 Fort defender off the cannon and pulled the charging hammer back, loading the weapon.

"The siege will never stop and unless we can punch a hole through their lines, we will definitely be overwhelmed!"

Kyou shouted just before she tilted the auto cannons to aim at the swarms of Shadows beyond the wall. She trained her sights and squeezed the trigger. The rhythmic thunderous booms from the twin barrels of the auto-cannons shook the entire cannon platform with each burst round. The rounds from the auto cannons were large 30mm rounds, each able to punch holes through the ranks of the enemy. As Kyou continued to shred through the enemy, Tomoyo kept the Shadows at bay from Kyou, protecting her with all of her might. Kyou focused her attention onto the Shadows climbing the walls, knocking most off the walls and allowing time for more Fort defenders to rush to their posts, pushing the enemy back off the walls.

"We're doing it!"

"They're not getting the advantage again!"

"Push them back!"

"Man those guns!"

"Anyone who can still move grab a gun and keep firing!"

"The wounded can wait! Right now just focus on the counter-attack!"

The roar of cheers erupted as more SSS2 forces stormed the walls, joining in the fray and pushed the Shadows away from the walls. But even that was short lived. A thunderous boom echoed from the forest, taking the defenders by surprise. Emerging from the tree line, a giant dark figure lumbered towards them.

"GIGAS!"

Someone shouted.

"Focus all attacks on that Gigas!"

Kyou ordered and the defenders all turned their guns at the Gigas, peppering it with everything they have. The auto cannon in Kyou's hand fired without pause with her finger tightly squeezed on the trigger. But the sudden chink sound from the gun was a worrying sign. She pulled the charging handle, trying to dislodge the jam, but it would just not budge.

"Damn piece of junk!"

Kyou screamed, banging the side of the gun but that did not do anything either.

"Kyou!"

Tomoyo shouted, grabbing the attention of Kyou, who turned around and saw the former tossing her a bag. Kyou caught the bag and looked inside. Within was a whole pile of small pebbles, as well as a capsule of pills from the medical centre. Without waiting, Kyou popped the entire bottle of pills into her mouth, causing her body to suddenly recharge itself immediately.

"Kyou! We'll do 'that' combo!"

Tomoyo said, to which Kyou smirked, grabbing a bunch of pebbles from the bag.

"I hope you're ready for this, Tomoyo."

Without waiting for Tomoyo's reply, Kyou clenched her fist around the pebbles tightly.

"Access: 300mm round"

The rocks in her hand exploded in a ball of light, grew into a giant bullet large than Kyou herself. Kyou used her might and tossed the round towards Tomoyo. Tomoyo grounded her feet in stance, focusing her energy into her right fist.

"Access: Knuckle Striker"

Tomoyo breathed. When the giant round came into her line of sight, Tomoyo threw her strongest punch at it. Her knuckle contacted with the striking point of the bullet, acting like a striker in a gun, and the bullet exploded in a thunderous bang. The giant round went straight at the Gigas, exploding upon contact, causing the creature to stumble a few steps backwards.

"Hmm, looks like we need a bigger bang."

Kyou muttered, grabbing more rocks.

"Access: 800mm round"

The rocks transformed into an even larger round. This wasn't even in the realm of being realistic. Tomoyo once more grounded her feet, gathering up energy as Kyou threw the round into her firing line. The very shadow of the giant round blacked out the entire Northern wall. Tomoyo gritted her teeth. She needed a more powerful punch to fire this round.

"Access: Knuckle Breaker"

With one more swift punch, Tomoyo sent the giant round off, exploding and punching a hole through the Gigas, finally felling it. Tomoyo stood straight, her fist smoking as she shook it to ease the tension in her wrist.

"That was too big, Kyou."

Tomoyo said to her friend, who slumped her weight against the auto-cannon, showing a tired smile.

"Ha ha, don't you dare complain. I'm the leader now."

Tomoyo smirked at that.

"Yeah... you sure are."

But just before Tomoyo could sit down to rest, a SSS2 assault member ran over, panting, face stricken with fear. This was not good.

"R-Report!"

He shouted, reaching Kyou and Tomoyo.

"Hah hah hah... E-enemy forces are advancing through the forests!"

This report stunned the two of them.

"What? ! From which direction?"

Kyou demanded.

"F-from all directions!"

Was the reply. And that one reply was all Kyou could hear. Her mind was not able to comprehend. All directions? They were already struggling against waves from one point. But from all? No. They cannot win. Not at this rate.

"G-GIGAS!"

She was almost afraid to turn, but her instincts made her. Emerging from the tree line, those menacing giants. Five, six, seven... they just kept appearing. Kyou looked down to the rocks in her hand. There wasn't enough to fight all of them. Not even that. She did not have enough energy to fight them. Fear gripped her. Her entire body was shaking uncontrollably. This was... impossible.

"Kyou! Kyou! Get yourself together!"

Tomoyo shouted, trying to shake Kyou back to her senses.

"It's... pointless... We cannot win."

Kyou muttered, the rocks in her hand falling out of her loose grip. She had no will to fight. She could not do this. She could not overcome this hurdle.

"Ein... I.. I can't do this... This is too much... even for me."

Kyou muttered, falling to her knees.

"Kyou! Get a grip!"

Tomoyo shouted, trying to get the proxy leader to get up. Tomoyo would never give up. She would never let something like this get to her.

"Kyou! Tch... ALL TROOPS TO THE WALLS! MAN THOSE GUNS!"

Tomoyo shouted, shaking the confusion from the SSS2 soldiers and rousing their energy once more. The SSS2 soldiers rushed about, each knowing that what they were doing might be useless, but they nonetheless focused on their own duties. That was all they could do.

"Move the injured behind the wall! Load all guns! Bring all spare ammunition you can find! Anyone without a gun, pick on off the ground!"

Tomoyo barked at them, grabbing a rifle herself and walking over to the wall. It's been a while since she used a rifle, but she would not let that stop her. The thunderous footsteps of the Gigases could not mask the rustling sounds of the smaller Shadow running through the forest. Soon, the army of their enemy would arrive.

"Don't fire until they break through the forest!"

Tomoyo heard the sudden explosions within the forest, seeing smoke appearing at different points. Mines. Scouting parties had placed mines earlier on and it was starting to prove useful. Looking up, Tomoyo could see the sky starting to brighten. It was now morning. One entire night of hell, and now they were going to face the worse of it at dawn. She closed her eyes. Was this how it was going to end? No. If this were to end, she would go down with a bang.

"Do not falter! Do not break! They may crush our bodies, they may torture our minds, but they will NEVER. TAKE. OUR. SOULS!"

She shouted, rallying the others with her cry. Their combined roar of approval showed their enemies their iron will. It showed their unwavering determination.

"We may lose today, We may die today. The SSS2 would no doubt fall this day. But by what God there is out there, we will make sure this World and all others will remember that this is the day that the SSS2 fought! That we fought and died this day! That we stood up against oppression, that we stood up for what was rightfully ours! No matter the odds against us! No matter what they said about us! We chose this path willingly! We chose this path of carnage! For our lives, for our regrets, for our guilts. For our yesterday, for our today, for our tomorrow. This is why we fought. So that all will know of our struggles. This is why we died. So that all will feel our pain. This... is why we lived."

* * *

"The enemy is in range."

"Load explosive rounds."

"Round in."

"Ready to fire at your command."

"All sections report in."

"Artillery batteries are ready to fire."

"All units are in position, ready and waiting."

"Good... All units, on my mark... FIRE!"

* * *

A/N: This chapter is short cause I still need to fix some parts in the next few chapters. Hang on tight! They will be out soon! In the mean while, share your thoughts on this chapter if you wish. Or any chapter or story.


	39. Chapter 39

A/N: It's finally done! This chapter was meant to be attached to the last but I needed to do some last minute changes.

A lot of you are expecting the SSS... well, they are coming, but not right now. Give or take 3 more chapters. SORRY!

_**BUT BUT BUT! ! ! ! ! ! ! !**_

I stress the importance of patience! Because their entrance that I have prepared is meant to be EPIC! BIG! and all round BADASS!

The SSS will come, don't worry about it. And they will come in style. heh heh heh heh

For now, enjoy this chapter!

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 39_

_Battle for Fortress / Counter-Offensive_

"Push them back!"

"Don't let them get close to the wall a second time!"

"Reinforcements needed at the Eastern wall!"

"Edge Squadron 2 is on it's way! Tell them to hang on!"

"We need more ammunition!"

"Open storehouses 10 and 11!"

"They were open two hours ago!"

"Shadows breaching the Western wall!"

"All remaining Wolves to the Western Wall!"

"The gun's busted! I need a replacement ASAP!"

"There's no time for that!"

"I need an area bombardment at the Northern sector!"

"Mortar teams have all been despatched to the Southern wall!"

"Who gave such orders? !"

"Gigas!"

Tomoyo looked up just in time to see the giant Shadow raise its hand over the wall, casting a dark overcast over the defenders. It was planning on bringing down the wall with one attack?

"Not on my watch!"

Tomoyo cocked her fist back, the Conviction gloves charging up on energy.

"Access: Knuckle Breaker!"

She shouted, throwing a punch at the giant hand of the Gigas before it could bring it down on the wall. The force of the blow managed to slow down the descent of the Gigas's hand, but it was damaging to Tomoyo.

"NNNNNGGGGHHHH!"

Tomoyo gritted her teeth as the force of the enemy's attack was starting to tear the muscles in her arm. The bones in her hand were cracking Blood starting to drip from the corners of her mouth. Her tear ducts strained from the pressure, causing blood to pour from her eyes. Her ear drums torn, bleeding from the ears. The floor under her legs cracked, sunk in. Just what was with this Gigas's strength? ! She knew it was reckless, no, stupid to even believe she could take on a Gigas's attack head-on! But she acted on instinct. The Northern sector where she was at, was the least in number of defenders. She stayed at the Northern sector to make up for that lack of strength. But was her strength not enough? No. She will not let it end. She will defend this place, no matter what.

"NNNGGGGGGGAAAAA!"

She forced her body to push even further. Her gloves snapped the piston back, charging it up before

**BAM**

The pistons fired, releasing a large shock wave and knocked the Gigas back. The blow managed to get the Gigas to retract its attack, but it came at a heavy cost to Tomoyo. Collapsing to the floor, she could hardly see, barely breathe, let alone stand. She could barely hear the shouts from concerned SSS2 assault members, but they should not be so concerned for her. They should be more focused on the battle.

"Sakagami-san!"

"Captain!"

"Someone get a medic!"

"There aren't any more medics!"

Fools. With this sort of damage to her body, a medic can only put a bullet into her head to make her revive. But even that was problematic. Ever since this entire war started, their revival rate was getting slower. They would still heal and revive, but the timing was just taking much longer than before. Dying at this crucial point in the war was not an option. But she could not move and that Gigas would be sure to come back for a second attack.

"Gigas!"

_'There you go, see what happened? All because you idiots were too busy worrying about someone insignificant like myself.'_

Tomoyo thought to herself.

_'I have to.. fight.'_

But her body refused to move.

"Use the guns on it!"

"It's no use!"

_'Move it dammit! Why won't you listen to me? !'_

But her energy was gone. She could not even lift a finger. The sky suddenly got darker as the enemy poised to strike. The Gigas was about to attack.

_'MOVE!'_

"You're still as annoying as ever."

A familiar voice said before-

**BOOM**

Though her vision was blurred, she could faintly make out the shape of the Gigas's hand slightly over her, as well as a figure standing before her.

"I can't believe I lost control over my emotions twice in a row. I must be getting old."

Kyou muttered, scratching her head. The other men, however, were more in shock at what she was doing.

"M-Major Fujibayashi."

"Commander."

"She's stopping that Gigas."

"With only a book."

And indeed Kyou was holding back the attack with only a book in one hand.

"K-Kyou.."

Tomoyo called out to her friend, who looked down to Tomoyo.

"Thanks for hanging in there while I sorted out my own emotions. Luckily Ein wasn't here, otherwise I would have been punched to the next Afterlife. Still, I have to wonder why my connection to the program suddenly became clearer and lighter. It's also thanks to that that my head feels clearer and I don't think I'll fall into despair or madness again... Well, best not to question a good thing too much."

Kyou said, looking up to the Gigas.

"... Hmm, though I got some sort of 'power-up', I still don't think I can beat the entire enemy force by myself. Well, first things first. This guy needs to go."

"Access: Lavender Rain"

The pages from her book flew out without the book even opening up, twisting themselves into spear shaped rolls before flying towards the Gigas, piercing it all over. The number of pages that came out far exceeded the number of pages that the book was meant to hold, and even then the book in Kyou's hand did not seem to shrink at all. The Gigas stumbled backwards, before collapsing onto the floor with a thunderous boom. Kyou sighed, tapping her book on her shoulder.

"One down, another fifty to go."

She muttered, looking at the carnage of the battle.

"I don't think I can deal with fifty. Oi, Tomoyo, are you still alive?"

"..."

"Oi, you mountain gorilla of a she-bear, I'm asking if you're alive."

"... shut up..."

Tomoyo managed to mumble.

"Oh good, you're awake. So, what do you think of our predicament?"

"..."

"Ah, she's unconscious again."

Kyou muttered, looking back over to the battle. The SSS2 were giving all they could but Kyou knew that eventually this wall would fall. There was no mistaking it.

"The only question is when-"

**BOOM**

A sudden explosion caught her attention. She saw as a Gigas suddenly began to fall.

**BOOM**

**BOOM**

More shots, more explosions and more Gigas falling.

"What the-"

"R-Reporting!"

An SSS2 member ran up to her.

"Report!"

"T-there are additional forces in the forest!"

He said.

"Additional? Enemy?"

"N-no! Allies!"

Somehow, that word did not ring quite right in her ears. Allies? Who? How?

"They are carrying the banner of Guild!"

"Guild? ! But..."

Guild was trapped below ground. How did they-

"Reporting! Guild reinforcements are engaging the enemy on all fronts! They have brought with them tanks!"

"... TANKS?"

* * *

"Hammer 1 to Hammer 4, you're moving ahead of the line. Fall back."

She spoke through the comms network in the compartment.

_'"Roger that."'_

_'"Hammer 5 reports heavy resistance to our right flank. Move to assist?"'_

"Negative. Get Iron battalion to reinforce."

_'"Roger."'_

She turned off the headset comms and looked ahead of her. Riding in this giant metal tank, she had to marvel at the amount of power she now held. The heavy treads of the tank rolled across the snow covered forest floor with relative ease. Riding in Hammer 1, Kusanagi Yamato led the assault against the Shadows who were laying siege to the Assault Division's forest fortress. The tanks were the product of Himura Yuuko, the boss of Guild, but she had disappeared shortly after the battle for Guild started. Leaving behind nearly 10,000 T-74 and T-90 tanks, Yamato now utilized them in her counter-offensive efforts.

_'"Titan 1 to Hammer 1"'_

Her comms channel blared out. She grabbed the mike.

"This is Hammer, go ahead Titan."

_'"Requesting coordinates for landing zone. The boys are getting edgy for a fight."'_

"Understood Titan 1. I'll relay coordinates as soon as we can get a secured zone."

_'"Understood ma'am."'_

Tanks were not the only things that Yuuko managed to build and leave behind. Besides the military trucks, Yuuko actually managed to build 20,000 German Boxer Armoured Personnel Carriers, and each of those carriers were carrying troops from Guild to the battle line. Unlike the military trucks, the APCs could insert troops directly into the fire zone since it had armour plating and its own set of guns. However they could not hold as many troops as the trucks and were slower. Still, they were now an important part of her sizeable military strength. And that wasn't the only thing. She turned to her driver, a bubbly Guild member called Yoshika.

"Yoshika, can you get a visual on a good spot between our current position and the fortress to land our troops?"

"Aye aye ma'am!"

Yoshika happily replied, looking out through her tank's visuals. Yamato had to let Guild members take over the tanks operation. Shield, being the soldiers of Fort, were too invaluable as ground soldiers, not as tank operators. Guild members also had the best understanding of these machines as they were made by them. As for Yamamoto Takanari and his men... well, let's just say that they were off to prepare something else. As for Guard 1, they were soldiers, and were in fact those agitated troops in Titan squadron's APCs. But she needed to insert the troops properly. The enemy was besieging the fortress from all sides. Even with 10,000 tanks, it wasn't enough to close in around the enemy entirely. Not to mention it takes one entire battalion of tanks to take down a Gigas with concentrated barrages.

"Ma'am! Area located! Echo-Zulu-Niner-Five-Hotel-Whiskey!"

Yoshika said happily. Yamato wasted no time in snatching her comms.

"Hammer 1 to Thunder battalion."

_'"This is Thunder. We hear you loud and clear ma'am."'_

"Sending you coordinates. Echo-Zulu-Niner-Five-Hotel-Whiskey. Repeat."

_'"Echo-Zulu-Niner-Five-Hotel-Whiskey."'_

"Confirmed location. Fire for effect."

_'"Acknowledged."'_

Soon, a thunderous volley of explosions from far back erupted, followed by a faint whistling sound before the entire Earth before them exploded in a fiery fireball. Her T-90 tank shook violently as the explosions continued for a full minute before dying down.

"Ite-te-te... YOSHIKA! Did you just give me our own coordinates? !"

"Nooo maaaaaam..."

Yoshika replied, still seeing stars dancing around her head. Maybe the explosive rounds were too effective? But that was it. Yamato played one of her best cards. The artillery batteries of Guild. Thunder battalion. The blast from the attack had made not only a crater the size of a city block, but it also cleared out the forest in a ten kilometre radius. That was a little too much though.

_'"Thunder to Hammer 1. Thunder to Hammer 1. Do you read me, Hammer 1?"'_

Her comms channel called out.

"This is Hammer, go ahead."

_'"Ma'am, are you alright? That last blast was also done by our second regiment. They must be done with bombardments over by the Western ridge."'_

"Thunder battalion's second regiment? Weren't they suppose to clear our the Western and Southern sectors?"

_'"Seems like remaining enemy forces are regrouping to the Northern sector where you are, ma'am. Advise caution."'_

A change in the enemy movements? Was it a change in their tactics to counter her sudden arrival? Or was it something else?

"Advise noted. Stand down and wait for further orders."

_'"Acknowledged."'_

Putting the comm aside, Yamato consulted her map on the screen in front of her command chair. 10,000 tanks divided into 1,000 battalions of ten tanks per battalions. Her original plan was have the battalions encircle the entire fortress and push the enemy in, however upon receiving reports of the weakened state of the Fortress and its defenders, she had to change tactics. Attract the enemy away from the walls and pick them off with artillery. Now the enemy has begun to move, responding to their attacks and being drawn away from the Fortress. That was good, but now the enemy seemed to realized that the commander of Guild, herself, was in the Northern sector. Did they know? Or was it just pure luck? Either way, she needed to come up with a quick counter plan. She looked at the screen. The large crater being quite visible on her screen. Crater... Maybe it could work.

"All battalions are the fall back in a V formation. We will use the crater to sink them in."

She said through her comms.

"Southern forces enter the fortress and reinforce it from within. All Eastern and Western battalions will herd the Shadows towards us. Titan battalion, unload all personnel and have them set up a perimeter at fall back point Delta."

_'"Roger that."'_

"Thunder Battalion, we will need you to aim at the same coordinates, but do not fire until I give the order. Is that clear?"

_'"Acknowledged."'_

She turned to the driver, Yoshika.

"Yoshika, I will leave it up to you. Just make sure we get a clear shot while retreating."

The small driver sat up, adjusting her over-sized helmet on her head.

"Aye aye ma'am."

"Good. All forces, pull back and commence part two of the plan. Operation 'Over-kill', start!"

* * *

The tank battalions of Fort, under the command of Kusanagi Yamato, began to retreat back into the forest. With the boxer APCs unloading the troops of Shield and Guard 1, the forest was now armed with ground troops, lying in wait for the signal. The battle had drawn the Shadows from all over the Fortress out into the open, pulling them towards the large crater made by the Thunder Battalion's artillery barrage. With the Tank battalions from the Eastern and Western ends of the Fortress forcing the Shadows into the the bottle neck that Yamato's main Northern force had created with their V formation.

"Pick off the smaller Shadows! Leave the larger ones to the Tanks!"

The ground troops started to fire, killing the smaller and lesser Shadows that attempted to break through the tank siege.

"Don't let them through the line!"

The ground troops moved up, bringing with them machine guns and setting them up to mow down the smaller Shadows.

"Cannibals!"

"Don't let them devour the dead!"

Cannibals are a type of Shadow that devour the bodies of both its allies and foes. The more they devour, the stronger they get. It was recorded that a cannibal that was left unchecked devoured an entire platoon size of Shadows, transforming into something so strong that only the Guardians were able to despatching of, and even that battle had cost the Guardians two of their members. It was an extremely dangerous enemy to have once it reached that stage.

"Requesting additional fire support on the cannibal by Steel Battalion!"

_'"This is Dagger battalion, we're on it."'_

A ground of T-74 tanks rolled up their turrets all turning at the same time to face that lone cannibal. The cannibal raised its head, staring at the tanks with its blood red eyes, a gaping hole where its 'mouth' is suppose to be dripping with blood. It snarled at the tanks before-

**BOOM**

The tanks all opened fire at the cannibal, tearing the Shadow into shreds.

"This is Shield 5, we have spotted a large group of Gigas heading towards the centre. Requesting for arty."

_'"This is Thunder. We hear you loud and clear. Firing for effect. You boys better watch your heads, it's going to get loud."'_

Shortly after that transmission, came the faint, yet distinct, whistling sounds of artillery rounds flying through the air before all hell broke loose on the ground with the artillery rounds impacting the dirt and exploding. Raining fire upon the Shadows, the Thunder Battalion continued their barrage of shelling. Thunder Battalion was made up of two main divisions. One was the stationary howitzer division, which was the main group of Thunder. The second group was the mobile artillery group made up of Type 99 155mm self-propelled guns, able to change distance on the go and were extremely versatile. However the main howitzer group had one extremely distinct advantage over their mobile brothers. The howitzers were Yuuko's own specialized brand of artillery batteries, firing 200mm to 300mm explosive rounds. That meant the howitzers were dishing out the larger explosions, dealing more significant damage to their enemies than anyone else on the battlefield.

"Sir! Something is happening out on the field!"

A Thunder battalion sergeant reported.

"What?"

The Thunder Battalion leader, Tomonori Kiyoshi, grabbed his binoculars and peered through them to observe the battlefield below from the hill Thunder Battalion was situated at. Through the smoke, he could faintly make out the figure of a giant Shadow. A Gigas. Was it not affected by the artillery rounds?

"... Load corrosive rounds. Fire at that Gigas."

He ordered before picking up his radio.

"Thunder to Hammer 1."

_'"This is Hammer 1, go ahead."'_

Commander Kusanagi's voice replied. Though Tomonori had some reserved thoughts about getting a corporal to lead them, he knew that her skills were unquestionable. He will follow her no matter what.

"There is an unknown Gigas on the field. We're loading corrosive rounds. I repeat, we are loading corrosive rounds. Advise for all fire teams to pull back."

_'"Advise noted. However that isn't the only Gigas out there who has grown immunity to Artillery rounds."'_

Just as the word came through to his ears, he heard an ear splitting roar. Rising from the smouldering crater of the artillery barrages, stood up several Gigases. While most were destroyed with the barrage, these twenty or so were still standing and without a scratch. How? Could the Shadows be adapting to their technology?

"... Shit. Load those rounds now!"

He turned and shouted at the artillery crew.

"Loaded, sir!"

"FIRE!"

The howitzer fired the corrosive round, sending the dangerous shell all the way to the Gigas in the valley. The round exploded, sending a plume or corrosive gas to engulf the Gigas. The Gigas howled out with a hellish scream but it did not seem to be going down.

"Shit! It's still not going down! ... Where are the 'Monsters'? !"

"They're still on the way sir!"

"Dammit!"

_'"Give up on the Monsters, Captain Tomonori."'_

Yamato's voice came through the radio. Looks like she was listening in.

"But the Monsters are the only things that can punch through that!"

_'"That may be true, but they are too big and cumbersome. Leave the Monsters and the Rattes behind and focus on what we have now."'_

"... Understood."

It was true that the Monster and Ratte series of tanks could take down one of these mutated Gigases, but Yamato was right. They were too large and slow. It would take another day or two for them just to exit the Guild tunnels. He could not count on their arrival for help. He had to take care of this thing.

"Load the next round, HURRY!"

As the artillery barrages continued, the tanks down below began to change their formations. The barrages had taken out most of the enemy threat, now remained these stronger Gigases to deal with.

"Yoshika, turn us to the nearest Gigas."

Yamato ordered.

"Aye aye ma'am."

"Wataru, aim for the legs."

She ordered her gunner.

"Yes ma'am."

She tapped her comm piece.

"Hammer 1 to all Hammers, forward and hit their legs with everything we've got."

_'"Roger."'_

"Yoshika, match the timing of the others, don't get too far ahead."

"Aye aye ma'am."

Checking her map, she spotted that the other tank battalions had also begun to move up their positions, following her lead.

"Hammer 1 to Dagger, you're moving up too close, pull back, over."

_'"Solid copy."'_

_'"Halbert 8, you're too far ahead, pull back."'_

_'"Chevron 5, you have boogies on your three."'_

_'"The rounds are not punching through!"'_

_'"Just keep firing!"'_

_'"Holy shit!"'_

_'"Halbert 8! Come in Halbert 8!"'_

_'"That Gigas just picked up Sword 5!"'_

_'"Pull back!"'_

This was starting to get out of hand. With the Gigas able to take more hits, the tanks were doing nothing more than hitting pebbles at them. Perhaps she had no choice. She had to call it in.

"... This Hammer 1 to 'Yamato'. Do you read me, 'Yamato'?"

She paused for awhile before a reply came through.

_'"This is 'Yamato'. We hear you, go ahead."'_

"... Start Operation 'Dread'."

There was silence after she said that before-

_'"... Acknowledged."'_

* * *

"You heard the lady. Let's get this thing moving!"

"All hands to battle stations, we are a 'go'. I repeat, we are a 'go'."

"Crew to weapons deck 6."

"Ammunition storage secured."

"Pressure stabilized."

"Reactor signs all normal."

"Energy output at 80%"

"Engines running at maximum."

"All systems green."

He smiled, nodding at the good reports that came to him. He turned to the helmsman.

"Take us up."

"Aye sir. Main tank blow. Up trim 5 degree."

* * *

The river that streamed through the school was a quiet place. A perfect spot for fishing. The river was quite wide and surprisingly deep. No one knows exactly how deep it was but there lurked in its waters the legendary 'Master' of the river. Some say that it was a monster of a fish, being almost 100 metres in length. While no one knew whether this was true, it was true that the river was a mysterious thing, even for something in the Afterlife. And it just so happened that yet another mystery of the river was to be added this day. A great rumbling of the Earth began, becoming every more violent and intense with each passing second. It was soon almost deafening as the surface of the water started to bubble and foam up. And then-

**BOOM**

Like a torpedo, a gigantic mass shot out of the water, soaring through the air before crashing back onto the water. The morning sun clearly radiated its mass and slender. Measuring at nearly 300 metres in length, and 40 metres across, it was a giant in the waters. In fact, this giant was actually a-

* * *

**"A BATTLSHIP? !"**

Kyou stared in bewilderment through her shaking binoculars held by her trembling hands. Yes, it was a battleship, but it was more than a battleship. It was-

* * *

"Super Mega Jarganaught class Dreadnought Battleship, Yamato has arrived!"

Yamamoto Takanari laughed to himself as he stood in the bridge of the giant battleship. That wasn't its correct name, but let's just leave it as it is for now.

"With these 12 70 cm main guns, 16 40 cm secondary guns and 30 25mm auto cannons, nothing can stop me!"

He forgot to mention the thirty missile tubes but that was easy to miss given the size of the ship.

"Sir, we have coordinates from Commander Kusanagi."

One of the radio operators reported, sending the data to the screen before Takanari. Takanari looked over the data and nodded.

"Yosh! Let's test these guns out! 20 degrees port side!"

"20 degrees port!"

Shouted the order throughout the bridge.

"Bring all guns to bear! Open all missile doors!"

"Bringing guns to bear!"

"Missile tubes 1 to 10 are open and ready for launch!"

Takanari raised a fist and slammed it down on the console in front of him.

**"FIRE!"**

* * *

The giant guns of the Battleship Yamato turned to the left, Raising its aim before they fired.

**BOOM**

**BOOM**

**BOOM**

The 12 70cm guns of the ship blasted shots like explosions with each round, rocking the entire ship with each shot, sending giant rounds flying through the air before impacting the the grounds of the coordinates given. Missiles shot out from the missile tubes, flying in accordance to their programmed coordinates. The explosions from the rounds had caused even larger craters than the artillery barrages. The Gigas within range were all hit by the rounds, being destroyed before they could even scream out. A few more rounds from the battleship and soon the battlefield was silent. The battle was won.

* * *

Overlooking the battle, he smiled as he stood up on his feet. The battle was over and they won.

"Shouldn't we go down to help them?"

Kai asked. He shook his head in disagreement.

"No, there's no need. Besides, I am an NPC, the sworn enemy of the SSS2."

He replied.

"But you aren't they're enemy. Besides, you helped them out during the battle by cleaning out the corruption in their connections to the Program. That in itself prevented most of them from going berserk."

Saya added.

"Not to mention you gave them direct access to the main control program. They're more powerful than before, you know."

A new voice spoke up, making the three turn around. Standing there with a hooded cloak covering his face, a stranger stepped forward. Several of his Angels drew their weapons but he waved a hand.

"It's fine."

He said, and the Angels stood down. The stranger smiled and walked over to him.

"It is glad to see that you've recovered your memories. To be honest, I was afraid that I would be working completely alone in this mission."

The stranger said, joining him to look down at the battle below.

"You're the contact of my creator and Kei within the SSS2, am I right?"

He asked the stranger. The stranger nodded and pulled back his hood, revealing a young boy with a cheeky smile.

"Yes, that I am. My name is Tenryuu Shuusuke. I had been working with Otonashi and Kurogane Kei for the past twenty years. It was hard to work under the shadows but now everything is going to end."

"Wait, Tenryuu Shuusuke? The leader of the Analysers from the Intelligence division?"

Kai asked in surprise. Shuusuke turned and smiled.

"Yes, I am that very Shuusuke... or at least, in 'person'. The leaders had been suspicious of my activities for an extremely long time but I was always one step ahead. Still, it was quite irritating to dodge their inquiries or searches. Glad I don't have to continue that anymore. But besides that, I have come to join you and lead you to the main point."

"The main point?"

He asked, his interest piqued.

"Yes. The 'Apocalypse' Program has begun. We need to go shut it down. Now."

Shuusuke spoke with his tone dead serious.

"... Alright. So where must we go?"

Shuusuke smiled at that and pointed in one direction. And that direction was-

"Back to school."

* * *

A/N: Diablo 3 is almost out and next week I'm pretty much swamped with work. I will try to get a chapter out, but don't be expecting much! Sorry for that! I'll make it up to you guys for sure!


	40. Chapter 40

A/N: Sorry for the delay guys, too busy with games and stuff. Wait, can games be used as an excuse? ... Yes it can.

Anyway, since I didn't have much time, I didn't manage to get much out for this chapter. I'll try to make it up to you guys. Sorry!

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 40_

_Of Wars and Battles_

Popping the hatch open, Kusanagi Yamato got out of her tank to survey the area. A complete annihilation of the enemy forces. Nothing was left but a barren wasteland. She tapped her earpiece.

"Kusanagi to Yamato."

'"This is Yamato, go ahead commander."'

"Enemies confirmed destroyed, you may stand down."

'"Acknowledged Commander."'

"Hammer 1 to all call-signs, form a perimeter around the Fortress. I want supplies delivered to the Fortress and any available personnel are the aid the wounded."

'"Solid copy."'

Yamato turned the comms unit off, heaving a sigh of relief as the teams began to move out in accordance to her orders. Being a leader was something she had never imagined herself doing. She decided to walk on foot to the Fortress, having sat in the tank for quite some time. Moving the entire army of tanks and APCs took a much longer time than she anticipated, not to mention the number of detours she was forced to make due to the confusing network of tunnels. The artillery battalions had it even worse as they had to take a separate tunnel to get up on the hills.

Communications within the tunnels was hard due to massive interference and signal loss. Time was also needed for the tanks to get into position in order for her to launch her assault. She could not risk a one sided spear attack on the enemy besieging the Fortress as that would cause other sides to fall quickly. Matching the timing of the attacks had cost the Fortress defenders too much precious time. Time that could have been spent saving more lives. Walking towards the fortress, she could clearly see the devastation of the battle. APCs drove straight into large holes in the walls, not bothering to go around to the gates.

Guild members were already beginning to help the injured, the military trucks of Guild bringing in much needed food, water and medical supplies. Ammunitions could be sorted out later. Tanks were moving about slowly, most were heading into the Fortress in order to repair some damaged parts, or to restock on ammunition. Those left in good condition were stationed outside in a perimeter She gave the order for the artillery battalions to join them in the Fortress. Give them another ten or so minutes and they should reach. The second batch of tanks from Guild were also estimated to reach the Fortress in another half an hour. Those super heavy tanks were more of a hindrance than an actual use.

As for the battleship Yamato, it had enough capabilities to keep itself defended despite being on its own. Besides, she was sure Takanari would want to explore and test out some of the ship's capabilities. Who knew Yuuko was hiding such a powerful weapon? Stepping over the debris as she walked into the Fortress through one of the many holes in the wall, Yamato got a full glimpse of the carnage and destruction that was the result of the battle. Many buildings were destroyed, left in ruins or half damaged. The number of injured were too many for the medical centres that they were being treated out in the cold.

Guild members tried to establish outfield medical tents but they were being filled up faster than the tents could be made. Those that were considered half-ways (partially devoured by shadows) were shot and their bodies were brought to one part of the Fortress. She stopped to let two Guild members carry another dead assault member to the dead pile before she continued on. The damage was too much for Yamato to bear, but she continued on. Everywhere she walked, she saw death, blood, pain. She shut her eyes, not wanting to see such scenes. Her nails dug deep into her palms, drawing blood.

This was all on her. Her fault. If only she had moved the tanks earlier. If only she did not hesitate to attack. She saw members of Guard 1 were sitting around, watching the others do the work. She guessed they earned some rest. They had journeyed with her since the first assault began. A tank rolled by, carrying several Guild Shield troops who sat on the body of the tank while carrying supplies. The tank stopped a few metres ahead, letting the Shield members to alight and carry the supplies to the medical tents. It wasn't enough. Yamato was sure they did not bring enough supplies for everyone. Another miscalculation on her part. Why does she keep on messing up?

"Yo, did not expect you to be the new leader of Guild."

She turned around and saw a familiar face. Two, in fact. Fujibayashi Kyou walked over with a half dead Sakagami Tomoyo being dragged along by her collar. Was that really the proper way to bring someone along?

"Fujibayashi senpai, Sakagami senpai. Sorry for coming so late."

Yamato bowed apologetically. Kyou smiled, shaking her head.

"No no, we should be thanking you instead. If you hadn't arrived, we would have been in deep trouble."

"But-"

"Just take the thanks as it is, Kusanagi."

Kyou stopped Yamato before the latter could say anything else.

"Even if you did come late, it does not change the fact that you did come to save us. Due to your actions today, many lives were saved."

Yamato bit her lip. It wasn't that. It wasn't that at all.

"If only I had come earlier, more lives could have been saved."

"..."

Kyou sighed, dropping Tomoyo onto the floor and walking to Yamato.

"?"

Yamato did not know what Kyou was doing until it was too late, where Kyou used half of her strength to flick Yamato's forehead. Unfortunately Kyou's power was somewhat on passive mode, meaning-

**BOOM**

Yamato flew off and crashed into the dirt a few metres back.

"? ? ? ?"

Seeing stars and moons and dancing cows was all Yamato could see for the moment as Kyou walked over.

"You know, sometimes a leader has to make harsh decisions. You cannot save everyone. You can try to save most, but in the end you will always end up with casualties. This is war, not some game where everyone gets to go back happy. Sometimes it may be hard, but it always best to just stick to your instincts and take you can get."

Kyou said, offering a hand to Yamato. Yamato looked at the hand. She knew what Kyou was saying. She knew it, but it was always hard to accept it. She hated to make sacrifices. Sacrifices were worthless, not needed. But... she had to accept it. She had to move on. She saw the faces of the Fort and Assault members who survived the battle. All of them were happy, smiling. They were not angry or sad that she came late. Looking back at Kyou, she took the hand and was pulled up to her feet.

"Truth be told, I'm not really the best person to be nagging about this stuff, since I only recently got scolded twice in a row for my own bad habits. But since this she-bear is currently out of it, I'm all that's left."

Kyou pointed to Tomoyo, who was still lying on the floor.

"Well, since the leaders aren't around, I'm taking charge of Fort and Assault."

"What? The leaders aren't around?"

Yamato asked in surprise.

"Yeah, they're not. Both of them disappeared in the middle of the night in the midst of the battle."

Kyou answered, turning to take a walk. Yamato followed in step. The two walked around the Fortress and from time to time members from either the Fortress group or the Guild came to them with reports or questions.

"Take the latest supplies to the medical centre. Distribute them in accordance to importance of need."

Yamato instructed the newest Guild reinforcement officer, who saluted and went off.

"Looks like you're getting into the hang of things."

Kyou smirked, signing off a report before handing it back to an Assault soldier.

"You too."

"Ha ha! I was the former vice commander, and since Ein doesn't bother with this sort of work, this is what I go through every day."

Kyou laughed out loudly as they continued to make their round.

"So, both leaders are gone and no one knows where they are?"

"Yup. Just up and disappeared. With the chaos that went on, there was no way we could send any form of search party. For now, all we can do is to lick our wounds and wait."

Kyou sighed.

"... I don't think we should wait, Fujibayashi senpai."

Yamato said after some thought.

"Hm? Why do you say that?"

"At the moment, we've pushed back the enemy forces and have a moment to breathe. But some of my scouts have reported that the enemy's main base, the school, is still crawling with them and our supplies will run dry if we do not do something about a counter-attack."

"So, you plan to hit the enemy before they hit us?"

Kyou asked with her eyebrow raised. Yamato nodded in reply.

"I do not think we should waste this momentum we have gained from this victory."

Kyou studied Yamato for the moment, her eyes searching, as though wanting to know something else. Then she sighed.

"... True. I see your point. But we still need time to rest and recover our forces."

"I understand. My men will start the preparations."

"Ah, what about your ship? What the heck is that anyway?"

Kyou asked.

"Ah, the Yamato. It was a secret project by Yuuko. Since it can only be on water, it is restricted to the river. Don't worry, it can handle itself."

"Hmm, if you say so."

Kyou muttered.

"Fujibayashi senpai, how long do you think you need?"

Yamato asked, making Kyou think for the moment.

"The fastest is half a day, but most likely we can only move out by tomorrow."

"... I see."

"Well, see to your men. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. If you need me, I'll be over at the main building."

Kyou said, walking off and leaving Yamato standing in the main square of the Fortress by herself. Yamato looked up, seeing the small snow flakes fall from the grey sky. It was going to be a long day.

"... I need something to drink."

* * *

"**KNIGHTS**!"

She shouted, raising her cane up. From the ground, thousands of ghostly armoured figures rose and charged at the enemies in front of her. Like a tidal wave, they swept through the enemy ranks, piercing, stabbing and killing all who stood in their way. From the corner of her eye she saw a new wave of enemies charging towards her right.

"**KNIGHTS! SHIELDS**!"

She pointed her cane towards her right and thousands of ghostly armoured knights sprang forth from the ground, each carrying a tower shield in hand. Together they formed a giant wall with their shields, blocking the advancing wave of enemies. The ghostly knights were pushed back slightly, but soon they found their footing and with a combined push, they managed to get the enemy to back off. Panting, she realized that her energy levels were getting critically low. But she had to push on.

"Yuki, you need to rest."

She turned and saw Ein standing by her side, blood dripping from his hands and wounds all over his body. He was hurt badly trying to follow her. He was stupid for doing that.

"I... don't need... any rest..."

She wheezed, sweat blurring her vision.

"You're on the brink of death from exhaustion and you're still like that? Come on, Yuki, we need to retreat. We cannot take on the enemy in this state."

He reached out to grab her but Yuki violently knocked his hand aside, her face angry with his words.

"I DON'T NEED YOUR PITY! THERE IS NO RETREAT!"

She snapped at him before grabbing her cane and slamming it into the ground.

"**KNIGHTS! CALVARY**!"

Stamping her cane on the ground, thousands of ghostly horsemen rose from the ground. One of the horsemen brought another horse to her and she mounted on it.

"I will not stop you from going back Ein, but I will not back down. I will destroy the ones who did this. I will kill the one known as the 'creator', and I will find him up there."

She glared at the looming dark tower before her. The dark tower, the last and final battle. It shall be there where she would find her destiny.


	41. Chapter 41

A/N: Sorry for the delay! I have no excuses. I just couldn't post anything.

Anyway, today (15 July) marks another year for me... sigh. I'm now 24... what the hell am I doing with my life? I'm getting too old.

And to mark this special occasion, I'll release an extra looooong chapter! Please put on some epic music for this. There is no fighting, but just for the heck of it.

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 41_

_What We Stand For_

"... Commander..."

A distant voice echoed somewhere in the background.

"... Commander..."

"Hmm..."

She was tired and needed to sleep.

"... Commander..."

"Hmm... 5 more... minutes..."

She mumbled.

"... Commander... wake up... NOW!"

A sudden blast from an extremely powerful horn shot through her ear drums, causing her brain to immediately activate and scream for cover. Unfortunately her body was slower and she merely bolted up from her sleep. Standing beside the sofa that was her bed was Saori, a member of her elite Guard 1 unit. Saori had more or less established herself as Yamato's second in command for Guard 1 and issues orders that are in line with whatever Yamato wanted.

"Saori... fuaaahh... hmm... What time is it?"

Yamato yawned, stretching her arms as her body started to stir itself awake.

"It's currently 0600."

Saori answered flatly.

"Hmm... I thought I asked you guys to wake me up at 7?"

Yamato swung her legs off the sofa and lazily scratched her head. Her hair was in a mess but that can be fixed later.

"A situation has occurred. Major Fujibayashi has requested your presence in the meeting room."

"... Alright."

Yamato sighed, getting up from the sofa and walking towards the door. She was given a small room to use as her private quarters for the night and though she had told her men that she did not mind sharing a room, seeing as how there were so little left, they flatly told her that it was for her own use. Well, at least she gets some peace and quiet. For that moment. She had spent the whole day after the battle to reorganise her men, ensuring the supply lines were secured and looking after the proper distribution of supplies. The second and third reinforcements from Guild had arrived late at night so she was up till then issuing orders and checking through everything. The P-1500 Monsters as well as the P-1000 Rattes had arrived as well, giving her forces a tremendous boost. If only they could move faster. During the night before, she had guessed that the recovery rate for the Assault and Fort divisions would take more than a day, and confirming it with Kyou and the recovered Tomoyo later last night.

_Last night_

"We might require additional time."

Kyou had told her the night before while they were eating dinner in the mess.

"Another two days and we'll be ready."

"Two days? Isn't that a little long?"

Yamato had asked back.

"I know you would not want to lose the momentum but in truth our forces are down to 10 percent. We still need more time to get our forces back into action."

Tomoyo added.

"Hmm... but still..."

"I know you're in a hurry, Kusanagi, but the fact is that we cannot move at all. We might lose the initiative, but at least we still can get the momentum going."

Yamato thought about it for some time before finally relenting.

"Fine, we can stay. I could use the time to properly sort out my forces."

_Present_

So much for waiting. If a something like a 'situation' had occurred, she can well guess that it isn't going to be good. It was a good thing she still had planned for preparations to be done by today. If only she had a little more time to add some finishing touches. Stepping out of her quarters, Yamato found herself in a busy hallway of the main command centre of the Fortress, with SSS2 members running to and fro, carrying supplies, weapons and documents. She guessed everyone was getting ready for the final push.

"Saori, what is the status of our troops?"

She asked her second in command as she walked down the hallway towards the main meeting room.

"Guard 1 is full recovered and ready for action. 2 of the ten tank battalions that were damaged yesterday still require more servicing but reported that they are able to move. Thunder battalion have started moving towards the hills for better positioning and I had ordered two regiments of Shield to accompany them."

Saori reported, keeping in step with Yamato as they turned a corner.

"Hmm... And what of the Yamato?"

"The Yamato reports of one engine failure and minor Shadow skirmishes. Overall it is still operational."

Operational? Well, she guessed that would be what Takanari would say. The two stopped before the main doors to the command centre of this building. She could already hear some noises within. A heated argument this early in the morning? Some people were too energetic. Heaving and sigh, Yamato steeled herself and pushed the doors open. Stepping into the meeting room of the command centre, Yamato noticed that she was the last of the commanding officers to arrive. Standing by the centre table with maps and documents sprawled all over it, the leaders of the surviving SSS2 groups had gathered. Fujibayashi Kyou, current leader of the Fort and Assault division members. Sakagami Tomoyo, taking over Kyou's former job as the leader of the main infantry force. Hasegawa Iori, leader of the Wolves. Senjougahara Shinobu, leader of the runners and provisions group. Goudatera Takako, leader of Shield. And then there is her, Kusanagi Yamato, leader of the Guild forces.

"Morning Kusanagi."

Kyou smiled as Yamato took a cup of coffee from a Guild member who handed it to her. Taking a sip, she let the warm caffeine drink fill her up before looking at Kyou.

"There must be a good reason to wake me up this early."

Yamato narrowed her eyes at Kyou. Yamato hates waking up early. She never wakes up early.

"Oh, there is a very good reason alright."

Kyou smirked, throwing some pictures across the table to Yamato. Yamato took the photos and took a look at them, though what she was looking at still eluded her. On the pictures showed a dark tower of some sorts, twisted and with spikes jutting out from different angles. It had a deep sense of dread to it, a foreboding darkness that seemed to tell every fibre in her body to look away.

"... What is this?"

She dared to ask.

"That... is the school."

Yamato looked up in surprise and utter disbelief. The school? But this looked completely different! Where were the different buildings? Where did all of the classrooms go to?

"Disturbing, isn't it?"

Kyou smiled at Yamato's reaction.

"Disturbing... this is... more than that."

"Yes, it is."

Tomoyo nodded in agreement.

"Our scouts have managed to take this picture when they were out to gather information on the current situation. They also managed to find out that Yuki and Ein had both fought their way inside of this tower."

"Yuki and Ein went inside?"

Yamato asked.

"Yes, they did. Both leaders charged in without care for their own safety."

Kyou muttered with a slight hint of irritation, most likely directed at Ein.

"It would seem obvious at this point that the change in the school's shape as well as the movements of our enemies is proof of something serious."

Tomoyo stressed.

"We do not know how this happened or what caused it but this transformation can only mean that whatever is happening is happening soon."

Kyou added, pointing at the pictures.

"It looks like we cannot sit back any longer. I have a bad feeling about this all and so we need to mobilize as soon as possible to stop this. With the forces of Guild, we are now a fully sized force who can push forward."

"Before we talk about going anywhere, there is a more important question at hand. Have your forces fully recovered?"

Shinobu asked Kyou, crossing her arms.

"I will be honest, our forces are only at 50 percent fighting capacity."

Iori answered.

"But 50 percent is better than the 10 percent we were at last night."

Tomoyo added in.

"That is still not good enough. Even if you say your forces are up by 40 percent, we still do not have enough people."

Takako muttered.

"But with your tanks and the number of troops you brought, we can surely-"

"Do not forget, boy, that we are Guild. We are workers, not soldiers. We are not trained for long battles and cannot stay on the field as long as your troops can."

Takako cut off Iori in mid-sentence with a glare. Kyou sighed, shaking her head.

"Fighting will get us nowhere. I understand where your stand is, Goudatera-"

"I'M NOT GOUDATERA!"

"-But you have to consider that we are currently running against a clock that we have no idea how much is left on it."

Takako wanted to vent on more about her name but she cooled off rather quickly, closing her eyes as she rubbed her temple in frustration.

"That may be so but we still cannot just push on on a whim."

"It is more than a whim! We must risk everything we have to ensure that the worst calamity doesn't happen!"

Tomoyo shouted, banging the table in retaliation.

"And if we simply charge in blindly we will all die!"

Takako snapped back.

"We will all die if we don't move now!"

"We will die even before we can do anything! It would be a meaningless death for us all!"

"It isn't meaningless if you at least try!"

Tomoyo and Takako started to butt heads, arguments flying across the room. As for Yamato, she just stood there, drinking her coffee quietly while contemplating on the current situation. She knew that Takako was right. They cannot move recklessly. Though they have tanks and armoured support, the current route from the Fortress to the school was a heavily forested area, not to mention the amount of snow that piled up overnight. With these two main variables in place, her tanks were sitting ducks within the forest as they make their way towards the school area. Even if they could blast a path through the forest, it would only make their enemies alert to where they were, resulting in their troops being easily overwhelmed with constant enemies charging heading towards them. But she also agreed with Tomoyo's position. This... tower, or whatever it is, can only mean bad news. Like a time bomb, something big was going to happen and it wasn't going to be a party or anything pleasant.

"Hmm, I have to wonder, what do you think about this, Kusanagi?"

Kyou suddenly asked, making all quiet and turn towards the silent leader of the Guild forces. Yamato looked up, not too happy about being singled out like this. Heaving a sigh, she placed the cup of coffee down on the table.

"Why ask me?"

Yamato asked.

"Because you're the current leader of Guild. Though our own lieutenants have such strong opinions, it would be better to hear what YOU, as a leader, plan to do."

Kyou smiled. She knew what Yamato wanted. It wasn't all that hard to figure out.

"... I agree that we must attack soon."

Yamato said, making Tomoyo smile in triumph.

"But commander! Our forces are not yet ready!"

Takako said, turning to Yamato with a concerned expression. Her worries were not unfounded and Yamato knew of the risks.

"Our tanks can survive the push to the tower and we can get the Yamato to provide support and a distraction. The supply lines are secured, right?"

Yamato asked Shinobu, who blinked a couple of times before answering.

"Y-yes, of course."

"Good. We will push the attack BUT... we will only do so by the afternoon."

Yamato stated, making Kyou raise an eyebrow.

"Afternoon? Why so?"

"This would give your troops more time to prepare and recover. My forces can move any time but I would need time for my tanks to get into full moving formation. Though my original plan was to move in the morning, because of these new pieces of information, I have to re-think and re-organize my strategies. IF, that is alright with you."

Yamato narrowed her eyes at Kyou. Kyou closed her eyes with a smile.

".. Alright, we'll go with your plan."

"Kyou! you can't possibly-"

"I've made my decision, Tomoyo. We'll leave in the afternoon."

Tomoyo bit her lip, but said no more.

"Alright, Kusanagi, you got your window. Use it wisely."

Kyou said. Yamato smiled, turning around and leaving the meeting room with her lieutenants following closely behind.

"Ah.. you bet I will."

* * *

Leaving the meeting room, Kusanagi Yamato wasted no time in ordering her men.

"Takako, I need the report on all of our troops and weapons check-list"

Yamato said as she walked down the corridor of the main building.

"Yes commander."

Takako replied.

"I also need to know how many units have missing files in their ranks. Redistribute the squads if you have to, and put any remaining units into my battalion."

"Understood."

"Shinobu, I need a complete run-down on the supplies that can be shipped from Guild to us by the afternoon."

"It will be done."

The petite runners leader replied as they took a turn around a corner.

"Work with Takako and order any supplies we are lacking ASAP. I do not want to be caught unprepared for any situation we may encounter."

"Yes commander."

Yamato continued to give out instructions as they continued to walk out of the main building and out into the cold.

"Dagger and Axe battalions are to head out and create a path."

Yamato told Saori, who nodded in silent reply. Yamato led the way to a temporary shelter put up to shield mechanics as they were working on repairing tanks. This tent was for Yamato's own tank, the Type 90 tank, Hammer 1. She turned to face her lieutenants as she was handed a report by a mechanic for the tank repairs.

"That should be all, dismissed."

Yamato said, flipping through the charts.

"Yes ma'am."

Shinobu, Takako and Saori snapped to salute and left the tent. Turning back to the tank, Yamato looked on in satisfaction as Guild members were installing rocket launchers onto her tank. She wanted them to be outfitted with as much fire power as possible and with this new time allowance she had been granted, she could finally do it.

"Maaaaaaaam!"

A giggling Yoshika ran up to Yamato with her overly large helmet covering her vision and she turned and crashed into the side of the tank.

"Ouch!"

"... Yoshika, are you alright?"

Yamato questioned, heaving a sigh at the same time. Yoshika was spinning in drunken circles before she shook herself and raised the helmet to allow herself to see once more.

"Yes ma'am! I'm A-okay ma'am!"

She shouted in a happy tone. While her character was questionable, her skills as a tank operator weren't. She was once one of the experimenters working under Shoka, personally hand-picked by Yuuko to work on the tanks and test drive it. If there was anyone who was better at these tanks than Yoshika, Yamato surely would like to meet him or her.

"The rocket launchers are all fully loaded?"

She asked, turning back to the Guild team drilling and soldering the launchers in place.

"Yes ma'am! We have tons of rockets to use! In fact, we have enough to sell them!"

Yoshika chirped happily.

"Don't sell them!"

"Twelve rockets for one cookie!"

"That's damn bloody cheap!"

Yamato sighed, shaking her head whilst trying to get away from Yoshika's pace. She would just tire herself out before the entire battle.

"I need a sit-rep on the Monsters and Rattes."

Yamato said, and Yoshika snapped at attention.

"Aye aye ma'am!"

With that, she dashed out of the tent, letting Yamato have a breather.

"Commander, what do you wish to do with the machine gun?"

One of service mechanics asked her, pointing to the gun placed at the top of the tank.

"Does it cause any problems?"

She asked back, to which the mechanic shook his head.

"Not really, but after putting on the rocket attachments, the swivel of the gun would be limited. I needed to ask if that was still fine for you."

"Yes, that's fine. Leave it on."

"Aye ma'am."

The mechanic nodded and went on with the attachment of the rocket launchers. She walked around to the back where several more mechanics were tinkering with the exposed engine.

"Any problems? Wiring? Power?"

She asked.

"Wiring is a bit more trickery than before but we'll have it done ma'am."

"Power may be cut off when re-routing systems from the movement to the rockets. We're trying to see if we can get the engine to be separate from the electronics."

Power? Maybe attaching the rockets would cost too much power. But she did not recall needing so many electronic devices in her tank. Well, what does she know about tanks? She's a fighter, not a mechanic.

"What about the secondary auxiliary power?"

"If we attach it to that power source, all electronic hardware inside the tank would switch off just to fire rockets. It's like going in blind and shooting fireworks whilst blindfolded."

Interesting allegory, though she still did not see the point of it.

"We could try putting in another battery, but there isn't enough space in the engine compartment to house such a power battery."

"Or we could try routing it through all of the batteries. That way the systems won't all shut down."

One of the other mechanics suggested.

"Nah, that would only cause a-... wait a minute, that might actually work. Let's try that."

Yamato decided to leave the mechanics to work as she walked off. She did not understand a single word they were saying. Just then, she heard a great rumbling as well as the very ground itself began to tremble violently. Tools from the mechanic's too boxes began to jump out like fishes in a barrel from the mere vibrations of the ground. Yoshika ran back into the tent with a happy look on her face.

"Maaaaam!"

"Yoshika? Don't tell me this noise is made from the Monsters and Rattes."

"It is!"

"You idiot! I told you to give me a report! Not bring the whole damn battalions here!"

Yamato snapped, but then sighed, shaking her head in disbelief. What's done is done.

"Alright, fine, let's go take a look then."

She muttered, walking out of the tent with Yoshika and into the cold where giant machines were starting to roll by. Curious and surprised Fort and Assault members were in shock at the sheer size of these massive vehicles as they were being slowly guided through the Fortress by Guild members. A P-1000 Ratte halted before her and she gave the thumbs up to one of its crew members. Having a crew of ten, the Ratte was a monster of a heavy tank. Utilizing twin 10 cm cannons, protected by nearly 5 cm thick armour all around and being driven by four engines, it was certainly a large marvel to look at. One of the crew members jumped off and saluted to her.

"Viking 1, reporting with the rest of Viking squadron."

He said, handing her a clip board with a report on it to look at.

"Hmm... Ammunitions are all alright?"

She asked, skimming through the report. So far everything was working fine. Oil, engine, turret rotations, treads working well in snow conditions, etc. No obvious problems to be seen.

"Munitions are ready to go, ma'am."

"How is the speed?"

"I'll be honest and say that it isn't exactly the fastest tank we have, but at least it isn't the slowest."

The crew member replied, to which she nodded, handing him back to the report. In total, there were only 50 Rattes and keeping them maintained was a huge problem, not to mention moving them.

"I want each tank outfitted with whatever weapons it can hold, rockets, flares, smoke grenades, machine guns, everything."

Yamato said, turning her attention to some Guild members by the side.

"I want all weapons and ordnance stores open. Get every available man to outfit these Rattes."

"Yes ma'am!"

They shouted and rushed off.

"We will utilize the Rattes as the main offensive line. Try to get its speed to match the speed of our tanks as much as possible."

Yamato continued, talking to the crew member.

"We'll try ma'am."

"And tell the other Ratte crews that for this battle, we're going with Delta formation."

"Understood."

She turned and walked off as the crew member went to relay her orders. Warming up her hands with her breath, Yamato continued to walk along the long line of Ratte tanks that had just arrived in the fortress. With Guild members now rushing to meet the dateline of outfitting these tanks, no one bothered to stop and salute her. That was good. She hated the attention anyway. But now she had to deal with the more troublesome bunch. Yamato stopped right outside of the main Eastern Gates. Stopped right outside was that said troublesome group. Towering well above the gates of the Wall, these ten monsters made the Ratte seem like toys. Each P-1500 Monster was rightfully termed 'Monster', having the largest cannon ever possibly made. Yamato had yet to see the Monsters in action so she had her doubts about whether it could work.

Each had to be crewed by 100 men, a huge waste of man power but somehow the Guild members all reassured her that they were worth it. They better be. Due to their massive size and weight, transportation was a huge problem through the Guild tunnels. She had to abandon them and the Rattes to get to this Fortress in time. Even now, she had to wonder if they were still useful. Just by looking at its tracks told Yamato that it was too heavy. It was literally digging up the Earth as it moved. Truth be told, this wasn't even in the 'Tank' category, but rather in the 'Self propelled Gun' category. Still, this was a monster of a SPG. Oh yeah, its name is 'Monster'. Still, this was going to get troublesome. Yamato spotted one of the crew from the first Monster jumping off its massive platform and walking up to her.

"Reporting, ma'am."

He said, snapping to salute.

"Go ahead."

She said, not bothering to salute back. The crew member did not seem to mind.

"Yes. All ten Monsters accounted for. We have enough fuel and ammunition for a full day fight."

"Are all the components working? Can you be sure there will not be any explosions?"

Yamato asked.

"We have tested each component ma'am, and they are working fine. However since they have never shot a round before, it would be hard to say if it would work at all."

"Hmm... What is the top speed currently?"

"Given the snow conditions, I would say ten km/hr."

That is slow. Real slow. But that would have to do.

"Alright, get your men ready to move out. Get whatever supplies you need and head over to sector five. I already have Shield members setting up a basic forward outpost in that area. From that area you will have to provide artillery support."

The crew member snapped to salute.

"Yes ma'am."

With that, the P-1500 were ready. Yamato turned back to Yoshika, who had followed Yamato throughout her inspections with a happy smile.

"Yoshika, go back to my tank and get the mechanics to mount a communications transceiver on the back. With the way the battle is going, I need to be able to communicate 5 ways or more."

"Aye aye ma'am!"

With that, Yoshika snapped a salute that included her tongue sticking out and dashed back into the camp. Yamato sighed, looking up to the cloudy sky. It looked like it was going to snow once more. The final push. She wondered if they were really ready for this. She had no idea what waited them back at the school and in all honesty, she did not want to find out. That black tower sent shivers down her spine even as she thought back to its picture. The black tower. What awaited her there? What was it that needed to be stopped? Fighting was all she had to do. Was all she needed to do. It was all she could do. Her mind wondered back to Katsuragi. Where was he now? What was he doing? Did he manage to escape the school grounds? Was he able to meet up with others from the SSS2? Or... was he captured? Or killed?

She shook her head, dismissing the thoughts. Katsuragi should not be dead. He cannot be. But even if he is, what could she do? She was a leader. She had responsibilities. She had people to take care of. While she wanted to abandon everything and go look for him, she knew that the black tower came first. Whatever it is, she had to destroy it. Every fibre of her being demanded it. It had to go. It cannot exist. She closed her eyes, feeling her heart beat's slow hypnotic rhythm. She was calm. She was focused. Whatever the future holds. She stood ready. It may not be enough, but she knew that at least she was confident that this was the best she could do. No regrets, no holding back. To her, the battle had already long begun. This was just a little break. This war will end soon. She knew it. She looked up to the sky once more, seeing the sky darken in the far distance. Soon. Soon they will head towards that direction. They will face whatever horrors awaits them. And then... It would all be over. She heaved a sigh as she turned around and walked back into the Fortress.

"... It's going to get cold."

* * *

"Get everything ready! We move in the hour!"

"I need those supplies off those trucks and to the tents!"

"A tank's engine blew up in tent 15! We need more help in here!"

"Where is the next shipment from Guild? !"

"The Rattes are moving out!"

"All able bodied personnel are required to prepare for combat!"

"Move those trucks! Vice Battalion is coming through!"

"Everyone who needs a rifle go to tent 1 or 2! Standard issues only!"

Fujibayashi Kyou stood there as the men and women of the SSS2 began their preparation for the battle ahead. Preparation for war. Guild members were frantically handling the last minute repairs on the tanks as well as adding some new add-ons that Kusanagi Yamato had ordered them to put on. Others were moving fresh supplies unloaded from trucks that just came up from the Guild tunnels into tents to distribute them amongst the soldiers.

"Once you've taken your rifle, go to tent 4 for your ammunitions! All armour and protective equipments are in tent 6!"

One of the Guild members shouted over the bustle of people heading into the tents. Thanks to the wait, more Assault and Fort members had recovered and were back into action. The number of soldiers had been bolstered and they would need every man for this battle. There were three main elite fighting groups currently. The shock troops of Assault, Edge, were tinkering with their weapons at one corner. The Wolves of Fort were stocking up on ammunitions and supplies at their own private supply tent. And finally the elite soldiers of Kusanagi Yamato, Guard 1. They were quietly sitting around the main tent of the Guild forces, the one that Kyou knew had Yamato's tank, the Type 90 tank, Hammer 1, within.

They acted a lot like the Reapers from Division 6. Yamato was technically a Guardian herself, but she had only been given a black cloth, and had never even been to see Kurogane Kou yet. Yamato was a Guardian, in name. Still, the members of Guard 1 treated Yamato like she was Kurogane Kou herself and that they were members of Division 6. While they lacked the skills of a Guardian, they were still quite impressive as a fighting force, not to mention they were only formed the day before and were made up of members from all other Divisions. Kyou remembered the second in command, Saori. She came from Assault's Edge. So she would choose to be a member of Guard 1 rather than a member of Edge? Well, Kyou guessed there were some perks to being under Yamato. Yamato took good care of her men under her, making painstakingly careful planned movements to ensure minimal losses. She had also given each member of Guard 1 some sort of training. Though rushed, it showed that whatever training she gave them had obviously changed them from mere members of SSS2, to becoming a band of fiercely loyal elite fighters who answered to Yamato only.

"... Hmm, she is becoming very much like Kou."

Kyou muttered, rubbing her chin in thought. Right on cue, Yamato walked out of her tent, and the members of Guard 1 all stood up at once. She seemed to tell them something and they snapped to salute, heading off somewhere. Yamato warmed her hands with her breath before she noticed Kyou standing there and she walked over to where the proxy leader of Fort and Assault was standing.

"My men are all ready to move out. What about your side?"

Yamato asked warming her hands next to the portable heater that was next to Kyou. It explained the reason why Kyou did not seem bothered by the cold.

"Thanks to the wait, my forces are now up to 70 percent. While it isn't perfect, it is now much higher than before and we at least stand a better chance."

Kyou replied, looking back at the supply tents and the rush of Assault and Fort troops to re-arm themselves.

"... I plan to leave a small contingent behind."

Kyou admitted, earning a raised eyebrow from Yamato.

"You don't plan on committing everything you have?"

Now it sounded as though Yamato was risking everything while Kyou still had a card to play. In other words, it was starting to sound like Kyou did not seem confident in the up-coming battle.

"I will commit every fighting force I have to the battle and I will be leading it. But this is the Fortress. It is where Assault lives and trains. To my men, this place must always remain secure and open. A symbol, if you will, for them to return to."

"... This battle may result in none of us returning."

Yamato said gravely. Kyou merely smiled.

"And yet such a symbol is enough for them to fight on, to continue a dream and goal in which they may achieve. Look there."

Kyou pointed to the tent where the members of Fort and Assault were taking rifles and checking their equipments.

"Those men and women were once injured being what our medics could heal. Most of them were shot dead to allow them a painless full recovery, but all of them still remember the horrors of the battle before. The pain and suffering that each and every single one of them had endured. In a normal battle, they would all be scared, running for their lives, going crazy and maybe even abandoning all hope. But now... now is different. They fight because they believe in being able to win no matter what. I simply want to add additional securities to that illusion."

"Illusion? So... you're just going to lie to them?"

Yamato asked. Kyou smiled sadly, closing her eyes as she answered.

"Sometimes, it is those who stand closest to you who need to be fooled. In other times, it would be the ones whom you trust to protect you that needs to be misled. I want them to win, Kusanagi, not go out thinking it is a one way trip. I want them to believe. Believe in the battle. Believe in our chances. Believe in our strategies... But most of all... I need them... to believe in me."

Yamato looked at Kyou as the latter said that. Kyou may be used to being a leader, but having experience still does not change the amount of pressure you can feel from large decisions like these. When the lives of thousands rest on your decisions, your actions and your very words. Yamato smiled a little. There was so much she could learn from Kyou to be a good leader, but at the same time, there are a lot of things that Kyou needs to learn as well. A person is forever growing, forever pursuing the next step to move forward in their lives. Humans are imperfect, born as imperfect creatures, craving more, exploring the unknown out of pure curiosity and demanding the impossibilities of perfection. And yet such drive, such will power and desire was nothing less than admirable to marvel at. Even if that desire will eventually push men to go beyond the boundaries of sanity, go behind morality and eventually cause the end of everything.

Even if it did lead to that, the drive is what made them human. Is what made humans what they are this day. The drive is what evolved in humans. The drive that went beyond basic instincts propelled humans away from other animals. It made humans grow. And it would surely help them grow even more even in this afterlife. What was important for growth was not the body, but rather the mind, the heart and the soul. Kyou had all of these aspects within her, each still fiercely alive. Kyou was strong, no doubt about that, but even so the strong needed direction. Human growth is important, but rapid and unpredictable. That is why humans are social creatures. Without others, humans would not know what and how to direct their growth. Competition leads to faster growth, a forever changing marker that will push others to match their peers and excel. Cooperation leads to stronger and healthier growth, safety in numbers as well as knowledge from wiser people with experience to teach the younger ones on dangers and better methods. In this case, which would Kyou be and which would Yamato be? The lines were so blurred that it did not seem to matter any more That's right... it doesn't matter who teaches who. All can and will benefit if they work together.

"Why don't you give them a speech?"

Yamato asked, taking a cup of coffee with a stirrer on the table in the tent they were standing inside. Kyou turned and raised an eyebrow at Yamato after the latter said that.

"A speech?"

She asked back. Yamato nodded while sipping on the hot coffee.

"Yeah, a speech. Leaders always give one before some great battle."

"... But I'm not too good with public speeches. That was more Ein's job."

Kyou muttered, staring back out to the middle of the Fortress.

"Ein may be more popular and more outgoing, but Ein isn't the leader now. It is you."

Yamato pointed out, using the stirrer from her coffee cup to point at Kyou.

"You made the decisions thus far, you brought the men together from two different divisions. Not Ein, not Yuki. It was Fujibayashi Kyou."

Yamato said. Kyou took a deep breath, before letting out a very deep sigh.

"So... Since I started it, I have to follow through and finish it, huh?"

"That's one way of putting it. Don't worry, you should be able to do it."

"Easy for you to say it. Guild follows you because they know your skills and saw it first hand. They follow you because they know they can trust you and your judgement. As for me, I'm a proxy leader. I came to this position because I'm next in line. Assault is fractured into the different squads, none except for my own squads listen to me. And the heavy squad is following Guild and you. As for Fort, Iori is trying to get them together but his authority without Yuki is just as good Jin with a sniper gun. Meaning useless."

Speaking of the that good for nothing second in command for the defensive squad of Fort, where did he go anyway? He wasn't involved in any of the meetings they held thus far. The leader of the elite Assault squad, Edge, had come once though he never really introduced himself. Reiji, if Yamato recalled Kyou calling him that. The leader of the snipers, Ryusei Suou, had also shown up a few times. The commandos of the Assault squadron were leaderless as they followed Ein directly but now work under Kyou. The leaders of the Fort squads also showed up from time to time. Guild leaders did the same. But of everyone, Jin, being the leader of Camelot, was never around.

"Jin is probably sulking in some dark corner over the fact that Yuki didn't bring him along when she ran off."

Kyou answered Yamato's inquiry though the latter did not exactly ask for it.

"But being a proxy leader isn't that bad. You managed to get Assault and Fort working together without help."

"It is only a matter of time before it all boils over. I've only managed to distract them but it only can delay the inevitable."

"Then you should just try anyway."

Yamato answered back without hesitation, making Kyou a little surprised.

"What?"

"You know, just try to get them together anyway. Since it is all going to be the same, you might as well just throw everything you have at it. Besides, you might never know what would happen. Those men need a leader. They do not have to trust you completely or listen to you. But they need someone to point the right direction for them to go."

Kyou kept silent, thinking about what Yamato had just said. Maybe this was how Yamato did it. Yamato had no clear understanding of how to be a leader but she gave Guild a direction, gave them hope and thus they followed her. Perhaps there is merit in what she had just said. It was odd. Refreshing, but odd, to have Yamato tell Kyou something about being a leader when the latter was berating the former just the day before about the same topic. But they needed it. They all did. To remind them of what they had lost. Because of the long war, the fatigue from battles and the long hours of rest, the despair and doubts started to build up within each of them. Doubts about themselves, about the war, about everything. Why should they question themselves in such times? They had to focus, and the best way to do that is to have people around you to keep reminding you of your goals, of your objectives, of which direction they should be walking. And now, Kyou was to give thousands of people a new direction. She had not idea if it would work, but like Yamato said, since it was all going to end anyway, might as well just do everything she could. She smiled, thinking of how much Yamato had grown.

"... You're right. I guess I'll give it a try after all."

Kyou said, stepping out of the tent. She walked over to one of the Guild members in-charge of weapons distribution and snatch his loud-hailer from his hand with a smile before turning around and walking off. The slightly surprised and in shock Guild member stared at Kyou before looking to Yamato for answers. The leader of Guild simply nodded her head and followed the leader of Assault and Fort who had stepped up on top of a pile of crates in the middle of the square and stood there. Several curious members of each division stopped their activities and looked on as Kyou continued to stand there in silence with a loud-hailer in her hand. There were so many things going through her mind. The things she wanted to say to them were numberless. Seeing each and every one of them, the boys and girls of the SSS2. Soldiers of the Divisions. Each of them different from the other. The pain of their past. The scars of their battles.

Each and every one of them was different. Different skills, different hobbies, different lives, different regrets. They were individuals, yet they were a whole. They were the SSS2. They were united despite their differences. Not for the sake of the war or for the structure of the organisation. But they were united because they shared the same goals, the same fears, the same dreams. They all knew what was at stake and they were willing to put all of their bets on this war. No... they were willing to bet everything, on her. She has to lead them. She must lead them. No... she will lead them. Every one of them looked to her. She cannot let them down. She will not. The loud-speaker in her hand weighed heavy. Her breath felt hard, forced. The chilling winds biting at her ears. What was this feeling? What was this strange tightness in her chest? She would think it was the uncertainty of what the future might hold, or what might happen in the future.

But it wasn't that. Seeing more and more SSS2 members stop their activities and gather around her only made that feeling swell up. Nervousness? To speak before all of these SSS2 members? While it was true she had not give out that many speeches to so many people before, it wasn't like that. She knew more than half of these brave men and women by name. She knew their interests, their dislikes, their habits, their fighting styles. She knew each and every one of them. Was it because she was scared? Scared she might not see some of them after this battle? That they may fall to the enemy's blade? Or herself? No. It wasn't like that. Then what could it be? Could it be... confidence? Pride? Faith? Perhaps. There was no way of telling now. She kept that feeling in her chest. Never let go. Never want to let go. She will fight. No matter what. She will fight and these brave young men and women will be there with her. Never alone. Never again. She brought the loud-hailer to her mouth. All waited for her to speak. Could she speak? Was what she was going to say reach to every single one of them?

"..."

A slight hesitation. Fear. Rejection. Despair. Her eyes saw Yamato standing there, nodding at her. That's right. Now wasn't the time to worry about that. Move on. Just carry on. No matter what happens, she must have the courage, the tenacity and the will power to move on. Not only for herself, but for every one of them here. She was a leader. She was their leader.

"... Men... women..."

She said, letting the echoes sound out throughout the fortress, grabbing the attention of more people.

"... As all of you may know, we are about to face the largest battle that any of us had ever faced. Larger than the battle of Big Site five years ago, fiercer than the battle of the 'Deep Gorge' three years ago and even deadlier than the battle we had faced just the night before... I will not lie to you, when we march from here, many of you may not be able to come back. For most, we face true death, disappearance and insanity... I cannot promise you a victory... I cannot promise that any of you will be able to get out of this battle unscathed... All of you have witnessed it, the new threat we face... We are cornered, like rats. We face an army of enemy that we stand no chance against... We are outnumbered, out-matched, out-witted at every turn, every corner... We are on our last hope for survival."

She could see the despair in the eyes of some. They all knew what was in store for them.

"I can see it your eyes. Fear. Despair. The sense of all hope disappearing. Marching into a field of certain death, an hour of broken swords and splintered shields. We face an enemy that shows no pain, no remorse. An enemy that doesn't tire, doesn't give up, doesn't retreat. An enemy that doesn't die, feeds upon our very bones, grows in number with each of our fallen, ever increasing in numbers. The dark battles we had fought for countless ages. We have fought against this enemy countless times, repeating the vicious cycle over and over again! We have broken our souls, shattered our bodies, bled dry of our minds. An endless cycle... of death... of pain... of despair. Fought for days! For months! For years! For decades! ... I, myself, have fought in this war for close to three decades. I had given up hope, lost all will that this war would end... and yet... it will. The end is finally dawning upon us all, and it does not look bright. A dark cloud hangs over our heads, foreshadowing our demise, beckoning us to hell... and I say to this voice... I WILL MEET YOU THERE!"

She shouted, her suddenly outburst shocking some in the crowd.

"I have not come this far just to back down! I had fought through eternal pain and suffering so what does it matter to me now? ! Defeat? HA! I had faced defeat countless times! I had gone through the pain of lost an infinite number of times! I see the despair in your eyes. Each and every one of you. The fear. That same fear is within me, have no mistake. But that fear is proof that I had lived! That I am alive! That I am no mindless NPC! THAT I WILL TAKE MY OWN FUTURE WITH MY OWN HANDS OR DISAPPEAR TRYING!"

Her cry met with a tremendous roar of approval from the crowds that shook the very ground they stood on. They all agreed, they all knew, they all thought the same way. She let the cries die down a little before she continued. She had more to say. She had a lot to say. A lot she needed to say. A lot she must say. A lot she wanted to say.

"... Look to your right, and your left."

She said, causing almost everyone to do as she told them to.

"Who do you see next to you? A person? A friend? A comrade? We are all different. Each of us a son or daughter, brother or sister, friends to someone. Each and every one of us are different and it will always be like that. Members of SSS2... Soldiers of Assault, Defenders of Fort, Smiths of Guild, Spies of Intelligence, Survivors of Diversion... We are all different in our ways, our thinking, our philosophies. We do not need to agree with one another, we do not need to like each other... But we all share a common goal. A common drive. To survive. We have long fought together, side by side. We had our times of strife, our times of great disagreements... but we were always together.

We stand together now, on the eve of our greatest battle. Warriors from every division, soldiers of every squad. Side by side, not as soldiers, not as survivors... but as brothers and sisters of this life. We shall fight! Never again shall we abandon our comrades! Never again shall we lose ourselves to petty words and conflict! Never again shall we be alone! Never alone! We stand together! We don't need to have powers matching a guardian, or the powers of a division leader. We are the SSS2! When we work together nothing is impossible! When we march our feet sends tremors through the earth! When we shout our battle cries shall echo around the World three times over! When we move entire nations will part way to let us through! Noting can stop us when we stand united! UNITED AS ONE! UNDER THE BANNER OF OUR SOULS, WE SHALL RISE TO TAKE WHAT IS RIGHTFULLY OURS! AS ONES WHO SUFFERED! AS ONES WHO FOUGHT! **AS THE SSS2**!"

Cheers echoed throughout the fortress, chanting the name of SSS2.

"**SSS2! SSS2! SSS2!**"

That name... The SSS2. It represented so much to all of them... yet...

"The SSS2... What... is the SSS2."

Her words brought silence.

"The SSS2 that I had joined... the SSS2 that I had fought so long and hard for... What it was to me... what I believed in it was the chance to redeem myself. A chance to do what I had failed to do in my own life... But soon that was wrong. What the SSS2 had become, what we had corrupted into! ... I... I do not wish to be a leader. I do not wish lead you all to death... I do not wish to be a commander. I do not want to take over the organization. I do not want to be someone who lies, someone who hides behind masks, that is not my business. All of you are individuals. I only want to live on... to help all of you live on. We have all suffered... We have all faced despair.

Somehow along the line of time we became blind, lost ourselves to power. We had the potential, we sought the power to change our pain, our suffering... Do not let yourselves be blinded. Do not let me tell you what to do. Do not be a blind machine, a mere cattle! The power does not lie within one person, but with all of you! The power to make your own paths! To fight against the darkness that forces us to quarrel! To fight for a new World! Fight for what you believe in! The SSS2 is not just an organization. Not just a group of misguided young men and women... the SSS2 is a symbol! As a symbol it is an idea! And ideal for what we strove to become! It does not only hold within our badge, or our five division leaders, it is all of us! In here! In our souls! Hold it deep within your hearts! We are not mere soldiers and blinded fools! WE ARE THE SSS2! MEMBERS OF THE SSS2! UNITE! NOT FOR HONOUR NOR GLORY! BUT FOR OUR LIVES! OUR SELVES! OUR OWN FREE WILL! WE FIGHT FOR HOPE! WE FIGHT FOR OUR TOMORRW! WE FIGHT FOR OUR OWN FUTURE! MEN AND WOMEN OF THE PAIN AND SUFFERING! **RISE**!"

At her call all looked up.

"UNWAVERING SOLDIERS OF ASSAULT! **RISE**!"

_The banner of the Assault guns rose high._

"IMPREGNABLE STEEL DEFENDERS OF FORT! **RISE**!"

_The shields upon the walls of Fort resonating ever strongly._

"UNCOMPRIMISING SPIES OF INTELLIGENCE! **RISE**!"

_The eyes that glistened at every corner._

"DEDICATED BUILDERS OF GUILD! **RISE**!"

_The hammer and steel foundations of strength._

"UNSTOPPABLE SURVIVORS OF DIVERSION! **RISE**!"

_The unstoppable willpower to live._

"WARRIORS OF THE SSS2! I BID YOU RISE! RISE TO CONQUER ALL BEFORE US! RISE TO TAKE BACK OUR LIVES! RISE NO MATTER WHAT SHALL COME BEFORE US! IF WE WERE TO BE BEATEN DOWN, RISE ONCE MORE! RISE! AND RISE AGAIN! RISE AS WE SHALL LET THIS VERY WORLD AND GOD ABOVE HEAR THE CRIES OF OUR SOULS! THIS IS THE DECISIVE MOMENT OF HISTORY! THE POINT IN WHICH OUR LIVES AND ALL LIVES THAT FOLLOW SHALL BE DECIDED! THAT ALL IN IT SHALL BE REMEMBERED! THIS IS OUR DAY OF DESTINY! THIS! _**THIS IS WHAT WE LIVED FOR**_!"

The deafening roar of cheers deafened everyone, their cheers carried throughout the forest, shaking mountains as they cheered out for the SSS2 and for her. They were ready, they had prepared themselves for this day to come. It was a day for all who stood under the banner of the SSS2 to face their own judgement. And Fujibayashi Kyou would lead them to it.

"SSS2, MOVE OUT!"

She shouted, and all in the fortress, every single soldier, every Assault member, every Fort defender, every intelligence agent, every Guild worker, every division helper. No matter who, where or what. All who wore the SSS2 uniform and stood at attention before Kyou, stomping their feet in one giant unified thunderous bang.

**BANG**

The ground shook, cracking beneath their synchronized steps. And all at once, every member, every man, every woman, snapped to salute Kyou. Kyou looked at them slightly surprised. Every single one of them, stood at attention and saluted her. All at the same time. A strange feeling of exhilaration swept over her. She could not help but smile. With tears running down her cheeks, she snapped her hand up to salute them back. These brave men and women. They will fight. They are the SSS2.


	42. Chapter 42

A/N: Ahh... well, you guys must be getting irritated that the original SSS are not appearing. But didn't I say that you guys must be patient? 2 more chapters! Wait for 2 more chapters! In the mean time, just sit back, relax, and enjoy the battle scenes.

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 42_

_Battle of the Valley_

"Move out!"

"Steel battalion is going first!"

"All soldiers to your transports!"

The movements of the SSS2 as they rushed to their designated places was a certain sight to see. Tanks of Guild were starting to move out by squadrons. Assault troops were heading into the APCs and the military trucks that were used to move supplies.

"Fifth Assault group is to use APCs 50 and 51!"

"Fort groups can use the tanks as transports!"

"We need more transports!"

"More trucks are en route!"

As the soldiers piled into their transports, those who were still waiting for their own transports were each doing their own last minute preparations. Some were stuffing additional ammunition into their packs or vests. Others were writing letters or carving their names on stones, leaving them behind at the centre of the Fortress where a mountain of similar letters, personal belongings, stones with markings on them and other things were laid out in a ring around the spot where Kyou made her speech. The place where they had thrown away their lives or any hope of survival. These artefacts would be the only proof that they lived, that they had fought and died, that they, as the SSS2, were once here. Kyou did not really think it was necessary to put it around the spot she made her speech, but whatever makes them happy or satisfied, she guessed. Another group of Assault members were going through some sort of 'pep-talk' by their squad leader.

"We're going in with the first wave! We're going to hit them fast, hard and deep in their nether regions where the Sun probably doesn't want to shine there anyway!"

The 'drill-sergeant' classic type of squad leader. Just where did they come out from anyway?

"Our enemy is big, mean and ugly! The moment you drop you will be waist deep in their waste droppings! And you will love it! Am I clear soldiers? !"

"SIR! YES SIR!"

The squad of fifty shouted back.

"Good! You kill anything that doesn't look remotely human, black in shape or is one hell of an ugly NPC, YOU GET ME? !"

"WE GET YOU SIR!"

"GOOD! Now get in your transports! Do you apes want to live forever? !"

Kyou watched as the squad rushed towards their own APC transports. She shook her head, thinking that she might have pumped them up too much. She noticed over at the side where Yamato was checking her weapons next to her tank. Kyou walked over, letting several trucks cross before she headed into the tent of the current Guild leader's tank. Mechanics were rushing to and fro, finishing up any last-minute adjustments and problems. Still, Yamato had made her tank into one hell of a mean looking machine, with rocket launchers, gatling guns, front spikes and even two secondary turrets mounted on each side. Which tank needs a secondary turret?

"You're heading in with the first wave as well?"

Kyou asked as Yamato strapped her giant cannon to the back of her tank.

"Someone has to make the last minute adjustments to the tank formations on the ground. Besides, I belong on the front lines"

Yamato smirked, pointing to the black band of the Guardians tied around her arm. Kyou sighed, but smiled anyway.

"I guess that's also what makes you a great leader."

"That makes me a battle maniac of a leader. Nice speech by the way."

Yamato pointed out, walking over to the side and putting on her own vest, slotting ammunition magazines into the proper holders on the vest.

"Don't remind me."

Kyou muttered as Yamato slotted a fresh clip into her pistol and holstered the gun.

"There are no clear definitions on what a good leader is and is not. There isn't anyone who can tell you what you said or did was right or wrong. It is all up to you, how you interpret your own actions and how everyone else reacts to it. In this case, everyone seems pumped up so I guess it was worth it."

Was it really? Kyou would not really know. Maybe she would never know.

"Anyway, looks like this conversation will have to wait. It's time for me to go."

Yamato said, strapping on her helmet and climbing up her tank.

"Yeah... be careful out there."

"No worries."

Yamato replied with a thumbs up.

"See you on the other side."

With that, Yamato disappeared into the tank and the hatched closed. The tank roared to life as the mechanics scrambled to close off all hatches and detach the fuel pump. Yamato's tank, Hammer 1, jerked forward a little before it started off, rolling out of the tent and off to join the remainder of Hammer battalion. Kyou closed her eyes. The battle has begun. Her eyes opened once more, showing her own determination, her own resolve.

"You go to your battlefield... I'll go to mine."

* * *

As they moved through the snow covered forest, the silence that befell the entire army was suffocating. No one spoke a word. Only the roars of the engines of the vehicles cut through the dead of silence. The trucks rolled in line after the tanks that took the front, ploughing the snow ahead for the trucks and ground troops to walk through easier. The pace was slow enough for the ground troops to keep up their walking pace but fast enough that everyone needs to move in order to catch up. The mass movement of the entire SSS2 was like a mass migration but the air of the SSS2 was nothing like that. The air was heavy, dead, and silent. They were prepared, motivated by Kyou's speech. But they all knew the truth in her words. That most, if not all, would not make it out alive. A young Fort defender looked up to the cloud covered sky as he sat on the back of a T-74 tank. And then he opened his mouth as he started to sing a little.

_[Tune from Over The Misty Mountains (Cold) by Howard Shore]_

"Over the hills and great mountains tall.

Through valley streams and down endless falls."

Some looked up as they heard the song. One by one, they started to join in with the song.

"The lands of dead, and fields of red.

Of plains are wide, claims of an ocean tide."

The soldiers in the trucks sang in a low, solemn tune as their transports bumped across the fields.

"The screams of torture goes into the night.

As we climb ever reaching endless heights."

The guild drivers began to sing along, adding accompaniment to the song. Their song echoed throughout the silent forest, hallowing to their uncertain future.

"The trees were mourning, ablaze with time.

Through canyons old, all life shall fold."

The soldiers sang as they marched, trudging through the thick snow. The slow melody laden heavy with their wishes, their despair, their life, their soul... their beats.

"Dead with pain, and sadness hold.

March with honour, we face the cold."

Yamato stayed silent as she listened to the song the soldiers sang that was broadcast all over the network. She would not stop them. She had no reason to. She simply sat there, listening silently to their song. Their requiem.

"We face our future while stained with blood

We lost our homes, our friends to floods."

The funeral march. The song to lay down those who had passed. It was a song well sung for Fort defenders as a parting song for their fallen. It was a song all knew within them.

_"The swords holler out our pain_

_We naught to lose and no less to gain._

_Our banner rose high, so we may die_

_Our ways parting through our tears and cry."_

**The soldiers of Assault sung as they marched.**

_"Our shields lay battered and torn_

_Rest our easy our souls of worn._

_The grand shadow of our walls_

_Lay scattered shadowed once tall."_

**Defenders of Fort looked high as their voices sought the sky.**

_"The hammers that stoked the tongues of fire_

_Spread our sins through straits and dire._

_Through halls of guild, our lives we build_

_Carve through darkness and red stained fields."_

**Members of Guild hummed along with the tune.**

_"From shadows our eyes we spy on lies_

_Enemy and friends we see all ties._

_Darkness of corners we shall find_

_To all evil and failings we shall bind."_

**The spies of Intelligence joined in.**

_"We call upon all to set eyes of us_

_Be blind to all else that moves thus._

_Run through halls we survive war_

_Not for power or riches galore."_

**Survivors of Diversion sang strongly in chorus.**

_"We march through hell, till the tome of bells_

_Ring through valleys and hills shall tell._

_Our deeds spread across this land_

_Hear our cries sweep across the sands._

_Kingdoms rise and fall on time's whim_

_But we survive and endure though hope is dim._

_See our light in darkness does flicker_

_The test of time will make us bicker._

_But stand tall we shall_

_For we shall fight or fall._

_Thrown to strife, war is our life._

_We face the darkness within our hearts._

_As we keep marching on, Glory awaits the dead._

_Glory awaits the dead."_

* * *

The tanks stopped dead in their tracks, halting in one long line. The troops stopped their march, taking up positions next to their armoured comrades. The engines of the transports hummed dully as the entire SSS2 stopped before the line. The front line. Yamato popped the hatch open of her tank and stuck her head out. They had not yet reached the school grounds but they were close. This was the front-line An SSS2 soldier ran towards Yamato's tank from the direction of the school. It was a scout from the advance party. The scout stopped by the tank and saluted Yamato.

"Ma'am, glad to see you have arrived."

The scout said.

"How's the situation?"

Yamato asked, taking the binoculars that dangled around her neck and peering through them.

"The enemy is too numerous to even count. It seemed that they had sensed your approach and have begun to make their move. They are pushing forward into the forest to this position even as we speak."

The scout replied. Yamato could see the enemy. The dark mist like bodies of the Shadows. Their blood red bead-like eyes that seemed to pierce through her soul. But she would deter.

"I don't see any Angels."

Yamato noted out loud.

"Yes, it seemed that only Shadows are being used to attack as they are more numerous. All Angel type enemies are currently being concentrated on the school grounds together with the remaining Shadows."

"Hmm..."

Yamato pondered on this move. It was an extremely basic battle tactic and would not be unheard of in most gaming AI programs. But this sort of thing was a little too complex. There was a mastermind controlling these enemy troops. Yamato put her binoculars away, letting the chilling winds frost her breath.

"... It's like a black storm."

She muttered, describing the enemy that were heading their way.

"Reports indicate over a million Shadows are with this enemy force."

The scout added. A million. That sounded right.

"So ten for each man... sounds interesting."

Yamato smiled at that thought. Maybe it was just her mind that snapped, or did this truly not even faze her? No matter, they will fight, no matter what. She tapped her comms unit on her helmet, connecting to all SSS2 within range.

"Attention, this is Commander Kusanagi. The enemy is right before us and though they outnumber us, do not be afraid. We have enough fire-power to stop them and even push them back. Do not falter. All tanks, prepare high explosive rounds. All ground troops are to deploy themselves around the tanks. All artillery guns are to take aim and fire only on my mark. Is that clear?"

_**'"YES MA'AM."'**_

Came the unified reply. Yamato nodded and went back into her tank, closing the hatch above her head as she began to turn the weapons systems of her tank on.

"All fire teams are to prepare for close quarters combat."

She ordered through her comms unit while turning the targeting system for her rockets to full wide scan range.

"I need all artillery batteries to fire upon the coordinates I'm about to give. Yoshika, upload the coordinates 500 metres straight ahead of our position. A full swipe."

"Aye ma'am."

"Yamato is to continue course to point Echo. Do not engage with current force, I repeat, do not engage."

_'"Understood."'_

The reply from the battleship came in. Yamato nodded and tapped her comms unit once more while she flipped a few more switches.

"Systems online, missiles are active. Guns loaded. Command, this is Hammer 1, we have enemy in sight are preparing to engage, how copy over?"

* * *

_Forward Base Command Post, Mobile Command unit vehicle 'Avalon'_

Kyou took up the speaker and replied through it.

"This is command, we hear you loud and clear. Preliminary reports show that the enemy is spread out across the entire field and may overrun your position."

Kyou said, looking over the war map on the tactical table within the mobile command unit. The mobile command unit was a custom built command post from large shipping containers and placed upon a truck with a tank's engine to run it. It was like a portable office, complete with radar units, real-live updating tactical maps and even a coffee machine. Coffee is really important to Kyou. Taking a sip as she looked over the screen that displayed the area of 100 Kilometres in diameter. Blue dots represented friendly forces whilst red would represent enemies. Simply and efficient. Several members of Fort's strategy squad who survived the battles before, joined Kyou in the command unit and were discussing plans and ideas. Most of them would be in-charge of issuing immediately strategies to counter small skirmishes and had control of over a small group of units. Kyou and Yamato, however, had overall command.

_'"... So what do you suggest?"'_

Yamato asked over the comms. Kyou looked up to the strategists of Fort who began using thin canes to tap the screen where lines etched themselves on screen as the cane was dragged across its surface. Kyou monitored the plans drawn up by the strategists for a moment before she replied.

"Get the 70th battalion East up the slope. Have them deal with the right flank. Get thunder battalion to deal with the Western flankers."

_'"Thunder battalion is meant to thin out the enemy heading straight for us. If you focus their attack away from-"'_

"It's fine. I've got that covered."

_'"Got that covered? ... Fine, I'll trust you on this."'_

"Not going to ask?"

Kyou mused. Yamato snorted over the line.

_'"Huh, since it's you it should be fine. Just make sure whatever you've got planned isn't late. The front-line would not be able to withstand a straight-on attack like this."'_

Kyou could only smile at that as she eyed the screen where several dots were coming in from the West of the enemy forces. While the screen showed them as being unknown, Kyou knew exactly who they were.

"Don't worry, I will get you covered."

* * *

_Western Point, 100 km from front lines_

Running, running as fast as they could, the large group charged through the thick snow.

"Hurry! We must pick up the pace!"

"But ma'am! We can't run any faster!"

"Shut up! You can run and you WILL run faster!"

She snapped back. She gritted her teeth, only hoping that the worst has yet to come.

"Come on... let us make it in time!"

* * *

_Front-lines_

It was tense. Everyone had loaded their weapons and aimed it forward, expecting the enemy to come within sight at any moment. No one spoke a word, the silence was like a knife, cutting through the nerves of every single person on the field. Yamato continued to look through the scope of the tank, zooming in a few km ahead of her own position. She could see them, thundering towards them like a dark swarm of demons. But they weren't in range yet. Almost. If Kyou did not divert the artillery away, those Shadows would have been craters by now. But Kyou had a plan. She always did. For now, she had to concentrate on the enemy ahead. She looked away from the scope, turning to the computer screen next to her. They need to be at least 50 km away.

"Remember boys! Don't fire till you see the whites in their eyes!"

She overheard a voice from outside shout.

"But captain, their eyes don't exactly have any whites."

"... You know what I mean!"

Yamato sighed, shaking her head in dismay.

"Commander, enemy is within range!"

Wataru, Yamato's gunner reported. Yamato nodded, looking back through her visor scope. The enemy's range was indicated through the visor and the target indicator turned red. They were in range. She tapped her comms unit.

"Hammer 1 to all units. Enemy is within range. And units, choose your targets and wait for my signal."

_**'"Roger"'**_

Came the unified reply. She turned to her screen, activating all rockets and preparing the trajectory data. She peered through her scope once more, locking in the data for the rockets to link up with her visor's scope. 40... 30... 20... She could hear the rumbles of the enemy as the dark swarm of Shadows charged without hindrance through the snow covered hills. But she will stop them. She will stop them here no matter what.

"... All units, FIRE!"

**BOOM**

**BOOM**

**BOOM**

The tanks fired their explosive rounds, causing the ground to rumble. The explosive rounds impacting and creating blasts that engulfed the enemies around the point of impact.

"Fire!"

The infantry opened up their guns and rocket launchers, felling any Shadows that were left standing from the initial wave. But a swarm of dark beings like the Shadows never rest. More came to fill in the ranks of the fallen, charging faster and more ferocious than before. Like a hive of insects, they charged without care for their own individual safety. They only hungered for the lives of the SSS2.

"Don't give them time to breathe!"

"They don't breathe in the first place!"

"Then don't give them a reason to start!"

Yamato scanned the targets through her scope, the computer's targeting computer immediately signalled a lock-on status.

"We have target-lock, hell-fire missiles, fire!"

Yamato flipped the switch as the rockets on the side of her tank flew out into the air, sailing through the sky before shooting straight for their targets, causing large bursts of explosions.

_'"Enemy forces breaching in from the East."'_

_'"Iron battalion is on it."'_

_'"Target in sight."'_

_'"Frag them."'_

Iron battalion moved up from the rear, engaging a group of Shadows that diverged from the main group and attempted to flank the front lines.

"Hammer 1 to all Hammer. We've got them pressed. Move up."

Yamato ordered.

_'"Yes commander."'_

"Yoshika, full throttle."

_'"Hammer 4, engaging."'_

_'"Hammer 3, moving up."'_

_'"Hammer 10, you're too far ahead."'_

_'"Hammer 8! You're still using explosive rounds! We're going in for close quarters!"'_

Yamato's tank shuddered as the next round was fired.

"Are the rockets ready? !"

"Not yet ma'am!"

Wataru shouted back. She gritted her teeth.

"Load next round! FIRE!"

_'"Steel Battalion, moving in to assist Hammer Battalion."'_

_'"This is Vice Battalion, the commander needs help. Moving up."'_

Both Steel and Vice battalions moved up with their ranks, following in the Hammer's stead. More tank battalions began to push forward, encouraged by the advancement of their leader. But the enemy was still fighting strong, unwavering and unrelenting, forcing the tanks advancement to be slow. The infantry followed closely with the tanks, firing as they moved through the deep snow.

_'"Target in kill-zone."'_

_'"Reign Battalion, lock-on targets... Launch all rockets."'_

The entire Reign Battalion unloaded their rockets into the air, raining fire down on their targets. The troops forced their way forward, pushing through the enemy as hard as they could, gaining ground inch by inch. The Shadows were tough, fighting back despite being severely injured.

_'"Enemy flanking from the East!"'_

_'"Knife battalion, moving to cut off enemy forces."'_

_'"Enemy in range."'_

_'"Keep fragging them!"'_

_'"Hostile down, engaging next target."'_

_'"Load explosive rounds."'_

_'"Primary target eliminated-"'_

_'"Secondaries!"'_

_'"Infantry squads, move up to support."'_

_'"Javelin Battalion, engaging."'_

_'"All tanks are to move up! Fill in the gaps and don't let any Shadow through!"'_

_'"Enemy! 20 degrees, right!"'_

_'"Target acquired and engaging!"'_

_'"Fire!"'_

The battle was on the offensive, the combined push of the tanks from Guild with the infantry forces of Assault and Guild ensured that the Shadows were not gaining any ground that they had lost. But the enemy was not going down without a fight.

_'"Anvil two has been swarmed! Get out of there!"'_

_'"W-we can't! They're breaking through- AHHHH!"'_

_'"Argos Battalion! Pull out of there! Those are Blasters! They'll blow through your tanks in one blast!"'_

_'"Argos 4 is down!"'_

_'"Dagger Battalion is taking heavy fire!"'_

_'"Axe Battalion, moving up to assist."'_

_'"C-Cannibals!"'_

_'"Use corrosive rounds!"'_

_'"They're too close!"'_

_'"Where are the infantry? ! We're getting swarmed out here!"'_

_'"Those cannibals are too tough! Our rounds just keep bouncing off!"'_

Yamato gritted her teeth as the enemy was starting to adapt and fight back. The infantry, who were suppose to provide cover for the tanks in close quarters, were being pushed back due to the presence of Spawners, sending large numbers of small Shadows against the infantry. Blasters, suicidal Shadows, were detonating themselves against the tanks, destroying each tank with one detonation to the right area. Cannibals, the wretched Shadows that feed on the bodies of its own and foes alike, were almost as tough as solid concrete blocks after they had fed on a few bodies. The Shadows were pushing back, hard. The infantry were being swarmed, tanks were being isolated and destroyed and still no sign of the reinforcements Kyou promised.

_'"Don't let them get the better of us!"'_

_'"Where are the reinforcements? !"'_

_'"We've been left here to die!"'_

The morale of the troops was faltering fast. She needed to do something, as the leader of the front lines

"Reinforcements will come! I believe in Kyou and all of you should as well. Reinforcements will come, so just hold out!"

She snapped through her comms unit. Turning around, she primed and armed the second set of rockets.

"Hammer 1, firing!"

She let the missiles fly, sending many more Shadows burn in a fiery death but it did not seem enough. More and more Shadows were appearing.

"Tch, the rounds really do bounce off."

Yamato muttered as one of her corrosive rounds literally ricochet off the tough hide of the Cannibal and exploded harmlessly elsewhere.

_'"Then you'll need a bigger round. This is Viking Battalion moving up, you boys might want to move out of the way."'_

The Viking battalion of P-1000 Rattes moved up, digging up the earth as they pushed forward across the field. Armed with more guns than a Fort defender's dream gun nest, each Ratte had additional infantry standing on it, using machine guns mounted on the sides to fire down at any stray Shadows that dared to charge at it.

_'"All Vikings, lets pave the road."'_

_'"All cannons loaded. FIRE!"'_

The Rattes opened fire, each round literally punching holes through the enemy lines before exploding. The sheer force from their guns was enough to pierce not only the tough exteriors of the upgraded cannibals, but it had enough force to bowl over all others that stood around the trajectory path of the round. The sheer force of the guns had forced the Rattes to sink deeper into the snow than they already were.

_'"Viking 1 to Hammer 1. We'll buy the Battalions time to reorganise the line."'_

Yamato heard through her comms.

"Hammer 1 to Viking, don't you dare die on me."

_'"Wouldn't even dream of it, ma'am."'_

Yamato sighed, looking over to the tactical map. She needed to reorganise the line. With the Shadows breaking through at different points, it was hard to

"Hammer 1 to all call signs, reform back the line. Viking Battalion will buy us time to push the enemy back and get back on the offensive."

_'"Yes ma'am"'_

_"Steel battalion, pull back to point Echo-4."_

_'"On it."'_

"Javelin Battalion, round about to sector Tango and provide firing support for Argos Battalion. Argos Battalion, pull out as soon as Javelin gets there."

_'"We'll try ma'am!"'_

_'"Javelin Battalion, Solid copy, command. Moving up to assist Argos."'_

"Vector Battalion, unload at point Alpha. Tell them it's time."

_'"At once, command."'_

* * *

_At the rear of the front lines_

The driver flipped the switch on the panel above his head and turned around to face the passengers who sat silently in his APC.

"All right, it's time to hit dirt. Hold on to your seats ladies and gentlemen, it's going to be a bumpy ride."

All of his passengers remained silent, each taking out their own weapons in response to the driver.

"Well, that's one way to tell someone you're itching for a fight."

The driver smiled wryly to his co-driver.

"They were never one to talk much anyway."

His partner replied as he turned the auto-cannon turret on while pulling down the visor for the forward camera.

"Sigh, so let's get this show on the road."

The driver said, switching his comms unit's frequency.

"Vector 1-1 to all Vectors, we're moving up. I repeat, we are Oscar-Mike. Point Alpha. Stay in formation."

_'"Vector 1-3, roger."'_

_'"Vector 1-7 solid copy Vector 1-1."'_

The entire convoy of APCs started to move in unison, moving through the ranks of tanks and infantry units that were between them and the front lines. Although these tank and infantry units were ready to fight, it was probable that Yamato would not let them engage the enemy, not here. She would save their strength for the final push. Tanks and infantry moved out of the way, letting the APCs pass at full speed.

"Speed is looking good. How are the auto guns?"

The driver asked his co-driver. The co-driver continued to look through the visor whilst making adjustments on the console before him.

"Some dumb mechanic placed the wrong ammunition in turret 2. Looks like it won't fire."

"Well, the armour plating on this APC should hold out. ETA to drop point Alpha."

"Five minutes, ten clicks out."

The driver smiled at the answer.

"All right then, it's time to push it. Vector 1-1 to all Vectors, we're going in. Stay in your lanes, full throttle and do not stop or slow down till you reach your points, understood?"

_'"We copy, Vector 1-1."'_

_'"Solid copy."'_

"Punch it!"

The driver slammed the throttle down, forcing the APC's engine to give an extremely loud roar, pushing the heavy troop carrier faster through the snow.

"Hump ahead!"

His co-driver shouted in warning but the driver simply smirked.

"I know."

The APC hit the dirt hard, and with its speed it flew up into the air, over the tanks that formed the front lines, landing a few feet in front of the tanks and flattening the Shadows unfortunate enough to be underneath at the point of landing. The APCs of Vector battalion rushed forward, cutting through the front lines or like Vector 1-1, flying over the line. The APCs fired their auto guns as they ploughed through the enemy forces to reach their destination. Drivers of Guild always deliver, no matter how, no matter where, even if the said destination was in the middle of the enemy ranks, the drivers would still go for it. Their motto truly told their lack of sanity. 'We stop for no one'. At least put on some brakes.

"Reaching destination in 5!"

"All hands, prepare to unload, we're dropping right in the middle of the storm!"

The driver shouted above the gun fire and the Shadows being knocked around by the APC.

"3... 2..."

"This is it! All hands! Touch down! Give them hell!"

The driver released the rear hatch even before he took his leg off the throttle to apply the brakes. The APCs skipped to a halt as troops began pouring out from the rear hatches into the cold and into the middle of enemy fire. But these were no ordinary soldiers. Running out of her APC, she immediately took aim at the nearest Shadow and blew a hole wide open through its head with her shotgun. She tapped her earpiece to establish a connection to the network.

"Hammer 1, this is Saya of Guard 1. We have reached point Alpha."

_'"Status on Edge and Wolves."'_

She looked over to side where the other APCs had stopped and the other troops were unloading, jumping straight into the fray even before they could get out of the APC.

_'"This one is Hideo of Edge. This one is vanquishing the evils."'_

_'"This is Iori of Wolves. We have reached objective point and are engaging the enemy."'_

_'"Hammer 1 to Guard 1. Orders are the break the enemy forces. Regroup with Edge and Wolves at point Charlie Delta."'_

"Understood command. Guard 1 is proceeding with objectives."

* * *

_Forward Base Command Post, Mobile Command unit vehicle 'Avalon'_

The battle was currently at a stalemate. With the Shadows being so numerous, the line was spread too thin to push the enemy back.

_'"This is thunder Battalion. Enemy approaching our sector."'_

"Command to Thunder, retreat to sector Delta-7. Fence squadron will cover your retreat."

_'"Understood command."'_

They just lost another sector. Fujibayashi Kyou bit her fingernail (a bad habit) as her eyes scanned the battlefield on the tactical map. In order to add immediate relief to the front lines, Yamato ordered the deployment of the three most elite fighting forces in their army. The shock troops of Assault, Edge. The elite hunters of Fort, Wolves. And finally the Guardsmen of Yamato, Guard 1. With these three elite fighting groups on the field, the front lines were slowly pushing forward. The only problem was the flanks. Her eyes kept constant watch on the group of grey dots that were heading towards the rear end of the enemy forces. They were moving fast, but in order to prevent themselves from being detected by the enemy they had to take additional precautions. It was necessary to catch the enemy by surprise and cut them off at the bottleneck point which separated this valley from the main school grounds. If they can cut off the enemy at that point, the front lines can push forward with their full might. Now they were just fighting a battle of attrition. The SSS2 never did well in battles for attrition.

"Damn it. We can't lose the high ground..."

Kyou muttered, noting the area that Thunder Battalion was forced to retreat from. She had no choice. If Yamato committed her elite forces to the field, then Kyou saw no reason not to herself.

"Command to Big Bear."

_'"... This is Big Bear, go ahead command."'_

"Tomoyo, it's time. Move out."

_'"... Understood."'_

* * *

_Sector Delta-5_

Getting up to her feet, Sakagami Tomoyo cracked her knuckles, stretching her arms as the rest of her squadron got to their feet, rifles and weapons raised. The squadron of Tomoyo, consisting of a hundred well armed soldiers, chosen by Tomoyo herself from the Assault force's main infantry groups. While not as elite as Edge, Wolves or Guard 1, they were all trained by Tomoyo at some point in their long service to the SSS2. In other words, they were all battle hardened veterans.

"Well boys, it's time to clean the house. Move out."

* * *

_Front-lines_

"All right, the line is reorganised. Hammer 1 to Viking Battalion. Pull back. We'll take over."

Yamato ordered through the comms channel.

_'"Viking 1 to Hammer 1. Glad to hear that Command. Viking battalion, pull out!"'_

"Yoshika, full throttle. Wataru, load corrosive rounds."

"Aye ma'am!"

Hammer 1 sped forward, its treads kicking dirt as it sped straight for the enemy. Leading the entire line of Tanks as they pushed forward, speeding past the retreating Rattes Viking battalion, Hammer 1 primed its guns, ready to fire.

"Missiles armed, locked. Target acquired. Hammer 1, fire away!"

The barrage of rockets from the advancing tanks fired off, creating a thick smoke in their wake. The rockets flew over high, impacting down and engulfing the enemy in fiery explosions. The tanks broke through the smoke, ramming through the enemy line with their new found momentum.

"Target, 10 o'clock! Fire!"

_'"Javelin battalion, engaging."'_

_'"Anvil Battalion, coming up on your left."'_

_'"Infantry is moving up! Don't let the tanks go unprotected!"'_

Yamato picked out another target, turning the turret to the enemy.

"Fire!"

The tank shuddered as the round burst out from the turret, impacting and punching a hole through the enemy.

_'"Command to Hammer 1. The enemy on the Western front is cleared out. Thunder Battalion will now move up to assist you."'_

"We hear you loud and clear command. Best news I've heard thus far."

_'"And it'll only get better."'_

* * *

_Fifty Kilometres from Front-lines, 'Bottle-neck' point Whiskey_

Standing on top of the hill, overlooking down at the point below, she had to wonder just how did the enemy manage to squeeze all of their forces through this tiny point? No matter. The dark horde of Shadows that swarmed in the valley below had to be taken care of, even if they were bunched up together to look like one giant hairy black carpet. Time to step on the carpet. Pulling the cloth over her mouth, she drew a small knife, holding it in a back hand position. All of the dark clothed people behind her drew their daggers and swords, their dark eyes gleaming with hunger for revenge. The time to strike was now. She threw her hand up to the sky.

"WE ARE THE INTELLIGENCE DIVISION OF THE SSS2! WE SHALL STRIKE ANY AND ALL THAT STAND BEFORE US! FOR THE SSS2! ATTACK!"

"BY YOUR ORDERS, TESTAROSSA-SAMA! FOR THE SSS2!"

The waves of Intelligence division troops all jumped off the cliff, brandishing their weapons as they crashed down into the valley, piercing the Shadows below them. Testarrosa Iris, current leader of the Intelligence Division, jumped down with the rest of her troops.

"Kyou, you owe me big time for this."

* * *

_Forward Base Command Post, Mobile Command unit vehicle 'Avalon'_

"Grey unknowns have made contact with enemy forces at point Whiskey."

Came the report. Kyou smiled at that.

"So Iris, it really is you."

She muttered.

"Enemy forces are cut off and are in disarray!"

"Enemy line is breaking up!"

This was really good news and it told Kyou something.

"The enemy can be confused. They can be thrown into despair as long as we cut them off from their source. All hands, press the attack!"

* * *

_Front-lines_

"You heard the lady, all forces, attack!"

Yamato ordered, giving the order for the rest of the reserve tanks and infantry battalions to move forward. A loud roar of a war cry echoed throughout the valley as the tanks and infantry forces rushed forward, pushing the enemy forces back. Like a tsunami wave, the combined forces of the Guild tanks, the Thunder artillery, the Fort and Assault infantry forces, the Shadows were forced back, the battle being pushed into the SSS2's favour.

"Don't give them a chance to recover!"

"Infantry forces, move up! Kill anything that still moves!"

"Flamers forward! Burn any residual essence left! Don't let even a single drop of their vile existence to be left!"

"Tanks, forward advance! Trident formation!"

Yamato popped the hatch of her tank open, pushing herself up to take a look. The Shadows were on the run. They could do it. The impossible could be made possible. She could see that in the eyes of every soldier, every man, every woman in this battle. They were not eyes of despair, but eyes of hope, eyes of vigour, eyes that showed victory. She watched as the troops began their advance, the army pushing forward. Some regiments of infantry were chasing down remaining stragglers whilst the rest cheered on as they marched. She spotted someone standing there and knocked on her tank, signalling Yoshika to halt. The tank stopped right beside the weary group who stood at full attention, waiting for her orders. Guard 1 had fought hard and suffered cuts, wounds and bruises. But they held on strong. They showed no sign of discomfort, only eyes of confidence. Guard 1, her elite squadron.

"Commander, Guard 1 is reporting."

Saya reported.

"Good. Get yourselves patched up then report back to your transports. We're going up for the final push."

Yamato said. Saya nodded and headed to the rear with the rest of Guard 1. Yamato hated to give such commands, but this was an emergency. She could let them rest for too long. This war will not wait for them to recover. It was now or never. She tapped on the hull of the tank.

"Let's move."

She said and her tank jerked to a start, moving through the snow field covered with splintered trees, shelled craters, burning tanks, bodies of SSS2 soldiers and blood stained snow. This was not a scene of victory but it still was. A victory that cost them so much and in order to ensure that they keep this victory, they must be prepared to lose even more. The tank rolled forward, following the line of tanks that formed the front guard for this push. They were kept in reserve in the previous battle for this purpose. Fresh tanks and troops made up the bulk of the front-line forces for this new offensive push forward, though they would not be able to see much action until they reach the school grounds. The enemy they would face are mainly Shadows that were confused, unsure on how and what to do, thus not really giving any challenge. This gave the forces that were engaged in the battle before to rest and recover.

"Command, what is the enemy forces?"

Yamato asked, tapping her comms unit.

'"The enemy is on the run and any pockets of resistance can be dealt with. For now, just keep pushing. The enemy may be in disarray but don't let down your guard. There's still a hell lot of Shadows between you and point Whiskey."'

Kyou's voice warned over the radio.

"Hmph, not any real challenge, if you ask me. They either stand there, waiting to be shot, or just run around like headless chickens."

'"Ha ha ha, then would you rather fight the large enemy forces like before continuously?"'

"Not for now. I'd rather have a Key Coffee."

'"Next one is on me."'

Yamato smiled at that. She could afford a smile... for now.

"By the way, how did you manage to break the enemy forces? We do not have any strike force hitting point Whiskey."

'"They are ours, but at the same time, not ours."'

Came Kyou's reply. What is up with these higher ranking people and cryptic messages? It was really starting to bug Yamato.

"Care to elaborate? Or would you rather let me see for myself?"

'"Either way is fine with me, though you would not believe it if I told you."'

"So you're telling me to take a look for myself?"

'"I did not say that."'

You were implying it though, Yamato thought.

"... Fine, I'll go take a look."

Yamato sighed in defeat.

'"Good. Oh, and tell her that I do not owe her anything for this."'

"... Huh?"


	43. Chapter 43

A/N: SOOOO SORRY! I've been apologizing a lot lately but really so sorry! I had a whole month of crazy stuff at work and I've only got two weeks of break. This is the second week of that break so I may not update for another 2-3 weeks! Gah! I hate my job. But then how can I survive without it? Dammit.

Anyway, I wanted to get this out earlier but I was busy with the above mentioned situation, as well as... DRAWING! Yes! I have started to draw characters for this story! I had managed to get Yuki done BUT! BUT BUT BUT! The heavens are aligned and all mighty and great beings from above... HAVE STOPPED ME FROM SCANNING MY PICTURES! My new scanner isn't scanning! Stupid thing just sits there on my desk, staring at me and ignoring the SCAN BUTTON!

Sigh... oh well, until I can get the pictures scanned, then edit them a little some software, you guys would have to wait a while. Sorry!

Ah yes, to the readers who say I am a military fanatic, I'd say you're a little off the mark. I'm not a military fanatic... I'm a WAR NUT (no pun intended). I love reading about wars from all eras, ranging from medieval to modern times. Military biasness just comes with. This does not mean I love wars themselves, I'm a peace loving dude. But by studying wars, you can understand the tactics, the thinking of men and how far people would go for victory. Quite inspirational, if not for all of the dying and other ethical stuff. _"It is through war that you can see and understand the true nature of men."_ Not too sure who said that but I'm sure I heard it from someone. Probably my University Professor.

Ah yes, I also did say that my story is meant to be darker in nature, didn't I? Maybe I should put it down again somewhere to remind people. But don't fret if you believe I did not put in enough humour! I have... THE SIDE STORIES! They will not be released until after this fic, so you will have to wait, but the side stories will be filled with the random stuff that Angel Beats! is known for! There will be sad and dark stories in there as well, but try to enjoy it for what it is!

* * *

_Angel Beats!  
_

_What We Live For  
_

_Operation 43  
_

_Courage  
_

_Unknown location, hill top overlooking school_

He squatted down, watching the large formation of NPCs move about on the school grounds below. Not just NPCs but a large number of Shadows were also present. With this number of enemy forces left, could they actually be able to win?

"I see doubt in your eyes. Strange, for an NPC to show such emotion."

A cheeky voice spoke up beside him. He did not bother to turn to the cloaked young man who stood next to him.

"He isn't just 'any' NPC."

The young woman behind them snapped at the cloaked young man, who simply stepped back, raising his hands in a mocking manner.

"Hey hey, don't need to bare your fangs at me."

"Saya, don't."

He said, making the young woman bite her lips. She wanted to shout more, maybe even pummel the cloaked man, but she would abide by his words.

"What worries me is whether the SSS2 are able to win this battle."

He muttered, turning to look at the 'army' he had managed to gather himself. A large number of converted NPCs stood behind him and he made sure they would not be able to be corrupted. That additional little 'program' that he created on the spot and installed was not exactly the best solution to prevent corruption, but it was the best he could do with the time and equipment constraints he faced. He wasn't like the 'creator' and had little experience with handling the administrative side of the program. He was created by it in the first place and spent most of his 'life' living as a human being. It was irritating to even start calculating the number of bugs and errors that could occur with his clumsiness. Why couldn't the 'creator' help out? Even just a little? Oh well, no use berating himself over something like this.

"The SSS2 are already exhausted from the previous battle in the forest. Though the on-site commander was wise enough to keep a large number of troops in reserve, it is obvious that the best soldiers were committed during that battle."

Another young man stepped forward.

"... Yamato. That's so like her."

He smirked, affording a little inward laugh.

"You mean Kusanagi? She's leading the battle?"

"Yes. It is her. I had some scouts track their movements ever since they left the Fortress. While I do know that they are exhausted from the fight, I also know that Yamato isn't the type of person to give up that easily. She will push everything they have to win this fight."

"But the enemy easily outnumbers them. There has to be at least two million Angels down there."

"... They will make it."

He said, getting up to his feet.

"You trust her a lot, don't you?"

The cloaked man mused.

"As much as she trusts me. We have to make preparations. The moment they strike, we will have a chance to enter the tower."

* * *

_In Back-up Beta World_

She looked at them all, lined up in a long role. Most she knew, most had fought with her, travelled with her through many hardships and pain. And they were going back into hell.

"... As all of you know, we will be jumping straight back into hell. There will not be any time to adjust yourselves, or even time to catch a breath. We have little time to practice, we only have our memories of 'that' life to go by. We will be overwhelmed, beaten back and cornered. Even so, are all of you ready to make this decision? It isn't too late to turn back now."

She asked. Some in the line laughed at that.

"We've come this far Yurippe. There's no point in us going back."

"Yeah, and besides, we need to show those young ones what their 'senpai' can really do!"

Several started to laugh at that. She could only smile.

"I see... so all of you are prepared."

"YES MA'AM!"

They shouted in unison.

"... Soon, we will join up with others from all over the World. Others who suffered and stood bravely like us. This will be the largest joint operation the World has ever seen. ALL OF YOU WHO ARE PREPARED TO JUMP STRAIGHT BACK INTO THE PITS OF HELL, STEP FORWARD!"

Without hesitation or even a pause, everyone in the line took that one step forward in unison. Banging their feet together, thundering their determination. It was stupid to even ask such a question. But she had to. Even if it was just to elevate her guilt of dragging them back into this nightmare, she had to. But with this she was relieved. She wasn't alone. She was never alone.

"Good! We will be going directly to the source! We will go in hard and kill everything in our path! We are the main cavalry for this war and this-"

She pointed behind her.

"Will be our ride."

* * *

_Forward Command Post, Mobile Command Unit Vehicle, Avalon_

Opening a fresh can of key coffee, Fujibayashi Kyou stood over the war map screen on the table, noting the different units starting to move closer to bottle neck point Whiskey. The sweep of the remaining Shadows from the forest battle could be put off till later. It was important to reinforce the intelligence division who were fighting at point Whiskey. Testarossa Iris. That was a name Kyou would normally be irked to listen to, let alone speak it. But this war required everyone to fight. No one would be left behind. The last Kyou heard from the intelligence division was during the distress call when all hell broke loose. Their position was overrun by Shadows and had no means to escape. But seeing as they were here now, Kyou assumed that some of them managed to get away. Just not all. Kyou guessed their current strength to be at 20 percent, and even the soldiers that Iris had with her were surely exhausted. They were not front-line soldiers. They were spies.

As a fighting unit, Iris had managed to transform her 'Sentinels' into assassins, almost ninja-like. But as Kyou pointed out before. They weren't soldiers. The intelligence division was first and foremost a spying and reconnaissance division. Any form of combat they did was kept to small skirmishes and engagements, usually being contained to at most ten enemies. This adds another problem of Iris's involvement at Whiskey. That is the bottle neck, the place where all of the Shadows were coming through into the forest from the school grounds. The intelligence division was completely out of their league. That is why she needed Yamato to pick up the pace and catch up with Iris. She trailed her finger on the screen, before placing her entire palm on its surface, dragging her hand down. The map moved ahead of the army, showing the darkened areas that was once the school.

There were still some signs of its previous form, several buildings still stood as they had been, but the main area was completely gone. Twisted and transformed into the hideous dark tower that now stood before the entire SSS2, looming ahead like some ominous symbol of their demise. No. They will not die here. She brought the can of coffee to her lips, pondering on what could be happening within that tower. Ein and Yuki were inside and Kyou had no doubts that those two were probably making a huge mess of things within. But if that is the case, why aren't the enemy troops heading inside the tower to contain the situation? Unless... there is no situation to contain. Kyou could only think of the worst case scenario. And she did not like it one bit.

"Ma'am, the troops have made contact with the Intelligence Division."

One of the radio operators reported. She looked up and nodded.

"Good. Let us move up with phase two."

* * *

_Front lines_

The large formation of tanks and troops moved up through the snow, reaching bottle neck point whiskey. The large Type 90 tank, Hammer 1, rolled up to a large boulder where several Intelligence division members stood on guard around their leader, who sat on the boulder's surface, exhausted and wiping blood stains off her cheeks. Popping the hatch of her tank open, Kusanagi Yamato got up, looking to the leader of these Intelligence division fighters.

"Yo, Kusanagi, you're late."

"Testarossa? What are you doing here? I thought the intelligence division was-"

"Wiped out? Well, nearly."

Iris laughed, getting to her feet.

"We knew that it was going to impossible for any form of help to come to our aid, given the situation, so we had to find out own way out."

Iris explained, jumping off the boulder and walking up to the large tank.

"Find your own way out?"

"Ah, you probably don't know it, but we had suffered many attacks before. We were prepared and made multiple tunnels connecting throughout the entire school premise, unfortunately, most of my guys didn't managed to get out. What's worse is that our leader, Kenji, went missing before the attack. While it isn't unusual for him to just disappear on us, we haven't been able to establish contact with him throughout the entire time."

The last line escaped Iris's lips as barely a whisper. Yamato could see that Iris had still not gotten over it. Unlike the other divisions, they had not been able to regroup with any other survivors. Iris had managed to keep her men alive and together throughout all of this time.

"You've done well, Iris."

Yamato said, making Iris blink at Yamato in surprise.

"... Done... well?"

"Yeah, you've done well, keeping yourself and your group alive throughout all of this time."

Yamato nodded. Iris stared at Yamato, somewhat stunned by what she heard.

"Erm... Are you alright?"

Yamato asked, slightly concerned about Iris, till the latter burst out laughing.

"Ha ha ha! This is rich! 'Done well'? This is too much!"

Iris clutched her stomach whilst howling in laughter. It was weird to see the infamous ice queen of the Intelligence division, the doll-faced Testarossa Iris, laugh this hard.

"We have survived through the assault on our headquarters, pushed through tunnels filled with Shadows, moving our hiding place over and over whilst constantly being on the run, fought against impossible odds and all of that is merely a 'well done'? This is too much."

Iris sighed, finally able to stop laughing. Running a hand through her hair, she shook off some snow that clung onto her long light blue hair.

"But well... that is all you can say, Kusanagi. Words cannot describe how we felt throughout the entire time. Lost, abandoned, confused. It wasn't until we saw your entire force move out that we managed to gain some strand of hope... Hope that we would survive after all."

"..."

"You don't have to say anything, Kusanagi. Though you may not know it, your presence in itself is more than a relief for us."

"... I see."

Yamato nodded in reply.

"I'm sorry we couldn't get here any sooner."

"No, I understand your position. I'm not as irresponsible and heartless as Kyou may have put me to be. I know sometimes things that happen on the battlefield cannot be avoided."

"But-"

"Is it in your nature to be self-punishing?"

Iris suddenly asked, making Yamato stop in mid-sentence.

"Not everything is your fault, Kusanagi, and by no means is it also related to your own doings. There will be times when you feel as though you could have done better, or you could have prevented something from occurring. But you should know this, Kusanagi. As long as you have done it, you should hold pride that you had given it some effort. It may not have been much, but you have to understand that not everything can be changed by us alone. The difference we make in the grand scheme of things is both major and minute. Like how something even as small as a tiny gear is important to turn the machine, but at same time by itself it plays no other role other than to turn."

Yamato silently listened to Iris, before smiling.

"It seems that I'm being constantly lectured these days."

Yamato said, remembering the words of Kyou, of Shinobu, of Takanari, and now of Iris.

"It isn't a bad thing to be constantly told what to do. Humans are imperfect beings, and because we are imperfect that we need others to support us to improve our lives and survive. Of course, being lectured on the same thing constantly is a bad thing, which I'm sure you have been doing."

Iris pointed out, which was true. Yamato had always thought of her own actions in a negative manner. She found it hard to forgive herself or to even look at things in a positive way. She was sure Katsuragi was the first one to point it out to her. Katsuragi. That slight pain in her chest. That longing. She was worried... Where did he go?

"If you're wondering about Katsuragi, we last spotted him heading towards the tower."

Iris suddenly spoke up, making Yamato turn in surprise.

"Y-you saw him?"

"Not in person... but I have scouts feeding me information constantly. We are the intelligence division, after all."

Iris replied with some pride in her voice.

"The tower..."

Yamato muttered, looking off into the distance in the direction of their destination. The school grounds. Iris wondered if she should tell Yamato the part where Katsuragi was with a large group of Angels. But she guessed it was best not to feed too much information to the current leader of the SSS2 attack force. Everything was now hanging in the balance. The fate of the SSS2, of everything in this World now weighed heavily upon the shoulders of the few. Iris sighed, scratching her head as she picked up her rifle and slung it around her shoulder, climbing up onto Yamato's tank and sitting on the hull. Several other Intelligence division members from Iris's group climbed on-board whilst others flagged down other tanks and climbed onto them as well. Iris offered a hand to another Intelligence division member and pulled him up onto the tank before she turned to Yamato.

"Oi, Kusanagi, you overcrowded your tank with a lot of useless junk."

Iris pointed to the additional fire-power that Yamato had installed.

"Let's just say we need all the boom we can get."

Yamato simply replied, banging her hand on the hull of the tank. The tank jerked to a start, rolling forward through the snow, falling back in line with the rest of the marching SSS2.

"Kusanagi, do you have an additional radio?"

Iris asked. Yamato reached into her tank and pulled out a portable head set, handing it over to Iris.

"Don't shout too loud. We're low on equipment as it is."

Yamato warned. Iris smirked as she took the headset and putting it on.

"That all depends on her... isn't that right, Kyou?"

* * *

_Forward Command Post, Mobile Command Unit Vehicle, Avalon_

"That depends on you as well, Testarossa."

Kyou muttered through her mike with a slight smile. She may hate Iris, but she knew that within her heart she was glad to hear the voice of the Intelligence Division's second in command. Whatever hatred she held for Iris was no longer strong in her heart. Survivors who shared pain, suffering and the despair of being driven into the corner would share a bond. They were the SSS2. Their differences made little sense in the current scale of things.

"I need a status report from you on your unit."

Kyou said, looking down at the tactical map at the blue dots that were making their way through bottle neck point whiskey. They were now starting to move onto school grounds. The next fight is soon.

_'"I have with me only 5000 men. We lost 60 percent of our force during the initial surprise attack on our base. Our leader disappeared on us before everything happened and we are unable to locate his location."'_

Iris's cold voice replied through the comms, but Kyou could tell that Iris was heavily effected by the loss.

"... I see."

_'"... I... I've lost a lot of good men and women, Fujibayashi... A lot of them... sacrificed themselves just to let the rest of us escape..."'_

"I know..."

_'"I... I still hear their voices... see their faces..."'_

Iris was starting to break down, but she probably only did so in her voice. Her face was one that ice cold, stoic and emotionless. She had to be.

"We will take revenge, Iris, I swear it."

_'"... Then I'll be the first one to slit their throats."'_

"Whatever you say."

Kyou would let Iris go wild. It would probably be for the best right now.

"Commander, the troops are getting into position."

One of the strategists said. Looking at the map, she could see the SSS2 getting past the bottle neck point and starting to form up the line. They were going to begin the second battle. The main assault on the school. They had to form the line properly, otherwise they would risk losing everything. Kyou stepped back, stroking her chin as she studied the map.

"... Now how will this turn out?"

* * *

_White World Beta_

The young man sat on his chair, calmly sipping on tea as he observed the events happening through floating 'screens'. That was what he did not get. Why was this guy so calm?

"... Otonashi, aren't you a little too calm?"

He asked. The enigmatic mastermind merely smiled, taking another sip from his tea.

"It isn't a matter of being calm or not. All the pieces are in place. I have given the best opportunity for them to succeed. Whether they do or not is purely up to them."

"... That sounds heartless."

"Is it? It does not matter. Humans are certainly the most interesting bunch of creatures to observe. They fight when they have no reason to. They argue and bicker when nothing happened. They are able to fabricate lies, sow despair and weave intricate strategies for war and destruction. They are a blight on the land, a parasite that serves no merit to anyone but themselves."

What Otonashi was saying sounded rather... extreme... and evil. Perhaps this part of Otonashi's personality was transferred to his two rampaging NPCs?

"But... at the same time they are capable of astounding feats, surpassing physical limitations and all expectations. Imagination, thoughts, emotions, feelings... these are all important things that make humans... interesting."

"... You're speaking as though you aren't human yourself."

The 'Creator' simply chuckled at his words.

"I was human once... now... I am something else."

"Something else? Not something... more?"

"Oh no no, I do not presume myself to be of a higher nature. If anything... I am lower than a human being. I have made myself so integrated with the system, I am locked by its rules. I am no better than my own creations, acting within the bounds of logic and Java-scripts."

"... That sounds weird, coming from you."

"And maybe it is."

He hated the way Otonashi never answered things properly. It was annoying and down-right irritating.

"... I have to wonder, how did your counter-part managed to get so many people into this World?"

He asked. Otonashi smiled, putting his tea cup down as he pulled out a new screen. This one, however, was not in this Afterlife. It was-

"The Living World? !"

"Yes... I managed to establish a link through my other half. I use it to elevate my boredom from time to time. But onto your question. Do you notice something?"

Otonashi asked. He looked at the screen and noticed something odd. There were strange pod like objects in the image, all linked with cables and screens like some sci-fi alien show. Walking around these pods and monitoring the screens were people in lab coats. A science lab?

"There is an extremely powerful group in the living world, and having funds granted to them by the infamous Kirijou conglomerate, they have no doubt been able to access this World for quite some time though the entry and exit were always extremely complicated."

"You mean, they actually managed to enter here before?"

"They tried, but ultimately failed. They needed the connection, something to link that World to this. That link is me and my counter part. By sharing this connection to the others, they are able to send more people over. If you're wondering why this group can have such resources available, it is because it is their job. Paranormal, demons, magic and whatnot. If I recall, they actually specialise in fighting Shadows."

"Shadows? But they only exist here!"

"On the contrary, Shadows are a manifestation of our despair, our darkness within our hearts. Through certain rare conditions, Shadows can appear in the living World as well, but this group have been able to stamp the Shadows down before it got out of hand. Our situation, on the other hand, is out of hand."

What is up with Otonashi? Is he enjoying himself too much to the point of making lame puns?

"... So this group... What do they call themselves?"

"... I believe they called themselves... the 'Shadow Workers'."

* * *

_Living World, undisclosed location, Kirijou group secret facility_

She looked through the glass window, observing as the lab assistants walked to and fro the rows of pods that held the bodies of young students. Young students who dared to cross the boundaries of life and death. She looked down at the computer monitor one of the lab technicians was working on. The vital signs of one particular girl. The one called 'Kanade'. She was an interesting one, her wavelengths being very much different from the others and it was clear that her mere presence had a profound effect on this entire project. She, and her boyfriend, Yuzuru. Kamiya Yuzuru had sought her out on his own initiative many years back.

She merely dismissed his ramblings as mere child's talk. But then she came realize that what he was saying was strangely... familiar. It wasn't until a few months ago that she was convinced of what he was saying was true. But even before she could initiate test phases, he immediately requested for her to prepare enough machines to field an army. She did not know why he needed so many but she was certain something was going on in the 'Afterlife', as he puts it. And not just here. There were hundreds, thousands of facilities that had to be equipped with the same technology. Copying the signals that were in Kamiya's body was not easy feat, and to duplicate it and send it across to all facilities? That was ridiculous. But somehow, she felt as though it was worth it. Especially when she heard him say a certain name.

"... Minato..."

His name escaped her lips as a bare whisper. With the loud hums of the machines all around, no one would have heard her. But that name resounded with her so strongly. She could not ignore it. She had believed him to be dead, lost forever. But with this... this is the proof she needed to understand where he was, and how to bring him back. And so she took this gamble. It may be worth nothing in the end, she may not find the answers she seeks... but to her... even if it would bring her just that much closer to being with him again... it would all be worth it.

* * *

_Afterlife, Front lines_

She tapped the hull of the tank with her knuckle, signalling the driver to stop. Other tanks from her division were lining up in a row beside her, all facing the same damn horrible nightmare. Like some sort of twisted Halloween painting done by van Gogh and Picasso in a collaborated work piece, the scene before the entire army was nothing less than hell.

_'"Hammer 1 to Steel battalion, do you read me?"'_

Her radio set crackled over the slight static feed. Hammer 1, their front-line commander, Kusanagi Yamato, was calling. She tapped her head set.

"This is Steel five. Go ahead command."

She spoke through her microphone.

_'"Good, there seems to be some interference running through the air. Can you confirm if Anvil and Argos are to your left?"'_

She looked to her left and saw the said tank battalions rolling into position.

"They are accounted for, Hammer 1."

_'"Good. I couldn't reach them for sometime. Must be the thick presence of black essences that is interfering with our signals. Relay orders. Steel, Argos and Anvil will push towards the Western ridge and sweep in from there. Go by the dormitory buildings A and C. Have your support infantry clear out each building at a time. I don't want any slip ups for this part."'_

"Understood command."

_'"I will take the bulk of our forces into a direct frontal assault. Steel, you have to ensure the Western ridge is clear no matter what. Understood?"'_

"Solid copy command."

With that, she received her orders. She did not mind having Kusanagi as their leader. She herself had seen the skills and ferocity of the former Wolf-turned-Guardian. There was no doubt about her skills. The Guild members had somewhat started calling her their 'battle goddess'. Interesting nickname, but one that suited her well. While she wasn't like some other Guild members who went all 'kyaa kyaa' over their new leader, she did admire Kusanagi's fierce beauty and her calmness in battle. Her tactics in battle were slightly unrefined, coarse and straight forward. And yet it were those simple tactics that made her admire Kusanagi.

Her straight forwardness seemed to dispel any doubts over her when she first saw her down in Big Site. Fighting those gigas without pause or hesitation. She led the Guild troops through the tunnels and stood at the helm of the attack at the siege of the Fortress. She might admit having a little crush on the leader of the battlefield, but it was more towards admiration than anything. Seriously, she wasn't one of those hard-core fan-girls who would wave pom poms and print her face over weird collectable items. She did buy a key chain with Kusanagi's face on it, though. Pretty cheap too. That key chain was now dangling off the stock of her rifle. Strange place to put a key chain with her idol's face on it, but never mind that.

"Lieutenant! Enemy spotted! Straight ahead!"

Her driver shouted from inside the tank. She took the binoculars that were hanging around her neck and used to look ahead. Sure enough, the enemy was coming towards them. Shadows, left over from the previous battle or those that did not participate, as well as Angels. Weapon wielding NPCs. Dolls with human faces, human emotions, human actions... but no human soul. Dolls. Though they could put such thoughts into their heads, it was still another matter to fight them. Killing another human being. That was what this was. They were students, not soldiers. No matter how well trained they were, no matter how their battles work, no matter how much they try to structure themselves to be like military armies, the truth was still there. They were all just simply kids. Kids who were forced to fight in this harsh reality.

They were used to fighting Shadows. The killing of Shadows could be justified as they resembled nothing like humans besides their basic bipedal shape. But Angels... these were different. To kill another human being was to chip away at your own sanity. To have blood on you hands from the pools you have spilt. To make matters worse, after so many decades, nearly a century since this war began, the number of converted SSS2 students was at an all time high. That's right. This means that the large bulk of the Angel force they were to fight... were once their own comrades. She looked through the binoculars once more, scanning the enemy ranks. She spotted a few familiar faces.

"... Taichi... Himiko... Yuuya..."

She stopped herself after a while of naming her former comrades. They were now the enemy. It was hard to do this, but she had to. For her own survival. But... could she really pull the trigger? Could any of them? She looked to her left and right. The infantry troops were all in a nervous wreck. They were afraid. Afraid to fight faces they once knew. Afraid to kill their friends. Afraid to kill another human being. To the SSS2, Angels were the worst enemy to face. That was what the Guardians were created for. They were meant to take out the Angels. At the point of the creation of the Guardians, the Angels numbered no more than the number of Guardians, but there was a sudden explosion. D-day had to occur. Now they faced the entire school... no... this was more than the school's population of students. They had increased their numbers by some weird technique. No, not weird. Expected. The program.

There was no doubt that someone, somewhere, was manipulating the program to create more NPCs. The program was a dangerous, yet powerful tool. One that the SSS2 could not ignore when it was discovered after the battle of Big Site. While she herself was imbued with abilities from the programs, she tried not to use it. It was unstable and frankly speaking, it gave her the creeps. She had seen a number of people go crazy from over-using the program. One good example was the Overall Commander of the battle, Fujibayashi Kyou. Fortunately it did not escalate into anything drastic. But the program was extremely unstable to use. While the medics had created a 'debugging' program, it required all program users to go through a debugging once a month and it would usually take up the entire day. It was never a good feeling to go through.

'"Hammer 1 to all forces. The enemy is in sight. Do not fire until I give the order. I repeat. Do not fire until I give the order."'

Yamato's voice came through the comms unit, snapping her out of her thoughts. Kusanagi Yamato's voice was strong and firm, enough to make anyone who listened to her feel brave, empowered, and capable of doing almost anything. While it was an illusion, a reaction to receiving orders, she knew that in battle, Kusanagi was probably the only person she could count on. And if it was for Kusanagi...

"... Access: Enhance."

She would do anything. Even if it was to lose her own self to insanity.

* * *

_River next to school, on-board super dreadnought battleship Yamato_

"Steady as she goes, Youmu."

Captain Yamamoto Takanari, captain of the warship of Guild told his helmsman as the ship slowly sailed the narrow straits of the river. It was impossible to grasp the idea that the river was actually deep and wide enough for a battleship to sail through but Himura Yuuko, the boss of Guild, had installed a program into the ship, allowing it to travel anywhere as long as there is water. Not too sure how it all works. Portals to another dimension? Creating deep waters where it went? It was all unknown to him. Heck, as long as it moves he did not care if it sprouted wings and flew in the sky with rainbows trailing behind. Takanari was feeling edgy. The previous battle, the battle of the forest, had not seen him or his men any action. Orders from commander Yamato herself had prevented him from taking any action. While he understood her logic of saving their strength for the main battle, it was still a tough thing to sit through, unable to do anything as his comrades fought.

"Captain, we've reached point Echo."

The navigator on the bridge reported.

"Good. Comms, get the commander on the line. Put it on speaker."

"Aye captain."

After a short moment, the speakers on-board the bridge crackled to life.

_'"This is Hammer 1. Go ahead, Yamato."'_

Commander Kusanagi's voice came through.

"We've reached point Echo. Awaiting orders."

_'"... Good. You've reached just in time. This is where the final battle begins. Are you and your men ready, Captain Yamamoto?"'_

He could not help but smile at that.

"Of course we are! We've been sitting on our asses for far too long! Am I right men?"

**"OOOUU!"**

The men cried in agreement. Over the radio, he could hear a slight chuckle.

_'"... Good. Then you know what to do. Don't hold anything back. That is my final order for all of you. Fight to win. Fight to live. For what you had died for. For what you have lived for. Fight, and never give up. That is all. Good luck."'_

With that, the radio cuts off. All men on the bridge stood at attention and snapped their hands up to salute. The final orders. So it came down to this after all. After all they went through. After all their struggles. This... this was the final end to it all. The long decades, the long gruelling pain and suffering they went through. Takanari felt a tear roll down his cheek, but he did not bother to wipe it. It was his own proof that those long years meant something. It did not need to matter to others, but as long as it had mattered to himself, then he would be satisfied. He looked to the others on the bridge as they looked back to him, awaiting orders. These men, serving long and diligently under him. They were the Heavy Squad of Assault Division. Created to fight using heavy weaponry of Guild. And this ship, the largest weapon that Guild had made, was their prize. They will use this weapon to fight. They will use this weapon to win. They were right in their prime element. With this, they can give it all.

"... Men! This is it! Our time has come! For us to do battle with destiny itself! You heard the lady, let's go to war!"

**" "YES SIR!" "**

"All hands to battle station!"

"Condition Red. All hands to battle stations. I repeat, condition red. All hands to battle stations."

"Load the cannons! Twenty degrees Port side!"

"Cannons loaded!"

"Twenty degrees!"

"Open all missile hatches! Load all ballistic missiles!"

"Coordinates from Command has arrived! Hotel-niner, whiskey-five, zulu-three!"

"Lock in those coordinates!"

"Coordinates set!"

"All weapons running hot!"

.

.

.

**"FIRE!"**


	44. Chapter 44

A/N: And I'm BACK! It's been a very tiring month for me at work. I almost had a burn out from the stress from work. Well, at least I managed to find time to write! AND TO CELEBRATE A VERY LONG CHAPTER!

My scanner finally works! Check out my blog for some of my drawings! I believe that I had improved quite a bit since my last few attempts, though still nowhere near where I want to be! I have a goal to be like Himura Kiseki-sensei. I really like his drawings.

It's: .com

The only character from this series I managed to add is Yuki. I'm more used to drawing fantasy characters than school type. And I'm used to drawing girls, mainly because males are too... square.

On another note, Little Busters the anime is out! Finally... That game is probably THE MOST TIRING GAME OF ALL KEY GAMES! I mean, seriously! To get the true end, you must replay the entire thing over and over again. Not to mention in order to complete certain endings, you must 'level-up' Riki and Rin and the only way to do that is to play the game multiple times. I spent over a whole week trying to level those two up! I won't spoil the ending for those of you who didn't play the game, so _**DO NOT READ BELOW THIS LINE! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED**_

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_**.SPOILER ALERT  
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But seriously, what sort of story is Little Busters? Where everyone is in a death dream created by Kyousuke? Isn't that a little too much like Angel Beats? I mean, okay, so in Little Busters no one is really dead and it is just a separate reality but still... AND WHO THE HELL IS KYOUSUKE THAT HE CAN CREATE A SEPARATE REALITY? !

My favourite characters are of course Saya and Rin. But Rin's voice actress is different from the game... so I don't know. And Saya only appeared in the ecstasy version of the game. Oh, I also like the public morals president, Kanata, Haruka's sister. She's a cooldere! And THANK YOU KEY FOR ADDING HERE INSIDE THE ECSTASY VERSION!

I'm glad they brought in a lot of the funny stuff from the battle game, like the random battle, Rin's mission to make friends, and the randomness of Kyousuke's sudden creation of phrases. Glad those are in.

I had a lot of problem with the battle system. Sometimes I would win sometimes I wouldn't. And is that Horie Yui's voice for Riki?

Those who played the game know that Rin is the main girl and Komari (or was it Komachi? Whatever, it is KOMARIMAX!) is a sub heroine, but a friend of mine seemed very adamant against it... is he an idiot?

For those who played the game must know that in my first story, I added the Little Busters inside. I also threw in that Kyousuke wanted Riki to be the leader. I actually got that from the game. Kyousuke wanted Riki and Rin to grow strong. Strong enough to accept the reality of the accident and everyone's death. Of course in the true end Riki and Rin managed to not only survive the ordeal, but they managed to change reality and save everyone. So in my story, I changed it and everyone died... what did I do? Why am I so sick and depressing?

I miss the old Little Busters theme song. The anime version is too... rock style...

* * *

_Angel Beats!  
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_What We Live For  
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_Operation 44  
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_Battle of the School: Against All Odds  
_

_Front-lines_

At first it was silent. The two armies that gathered at the edge of the school grounds simply stood there, staring at each other from across the track field. The sky had long stopped snowing but the dark clouds that hung overhead were still there, seemingly attracted to the large scene that was about to occur below. Kusanagi Yamato sat in her tank, watching the enemy from her screen in her tank. Angels. The enemy that she was meant to fight as a guardian, but was never able to. She had received her black cloth too late, just mere hours before D-day occurred. She could have joined the legendary Guardians, fighting the most powerful enemies there was to fight.

But... was that what she really wanted? Fighting the most powerful enemy? Or just fighting in general? She had understood what Tomoyo had taught her, that power wasn't everything. So why did she want power so much? Why did she hunger for it so eagerly? To prove something? To who? There wasn't anyone from her life that ended up in the afterlife. She had nothing to prove to anyone in the SSS2 for they had all held something in their past. It was pointless to prove her strength in the afterlife. It meant nothing to everyone. So why was she fighting this war? Simply to find an end to it? Where was her own closure to her pain? She had not found it through fighting, but it was all she knew.

"Ma'am! Battleship Yamato has fired!"

She did not need to hear that report. She could clearly hear the high pitched whistling sounds in the air as the heavy rounds from the battleship flew overhead towards the enemy army.

"... With this... the beginning of the end... starts with the rain of fire."

**BOOM**

**BOOM**

**BOOM**

The track field exploded in fiery explosions as the rounds from the battleship impacted into the ground at their designated targets.

"Thunder Battalion is firing as well!"

The artillery batteries that were up on the high ground fired their rounds in conjunction with the rounds from the battleship, causing even larger explosions. Yamato could feel the entire hull of her tank shudder, the nuts and bolts rattling almost loosely in their holes from the sheer impact. It was like going through a magnitude 11 earthquake from the distance Yamato was at. The infantry troops took cover in their shallow trenches from the blasts, covering their ears as the explosions carried on. The barrage of heavy rounds continued to rain down on the enemy for a good five minutes before the artillery batteries stopped firing. The battleship Yamato had stopped their attack. Most likely the order for them to stop firing came from Kyou. Yamato knew better than to stop the order for the attack. As the dust from the explosions settled, Yamato could see the carnage. The large craters left behind from the explosions were vast, deep and numerous. But...

"... Tch... as expected."

Yamato muttered as the dust cleared, revealing the enemy.

_'"E-enemy forces... no damage."'_

The report came through the comms. She could sense fear and disappointment in the men, but they knew it as well. Those are Angels. Amongst those Angels are those that can erect large shields to deflect all damage away from them and those shielded by them. And that was what happened. Though faint, Yamato could see slight distortions in the air surrounding the Angel army. She knew how these shields work. Data left over from the Guardians that were passed to all Division leaders was what gave them the answers.

* * *

_One day before, Assault Division Fortress_

"A guidebook?"

Yamato raised an eyebrow at Kyou. Kyou simply smiled and nodded her head, reaching into the drawer of the desk in the office and pulled out a small worn out notebook. She sat down in the chair and placed the book on the desk, gesturing Yamato to take a look.

"All division leaders were given this book by the Guardians. This is Ein's copy. Within it details the habits, abilities and classes of Angels. While not a complete guide, it can serve to be an excellent source for our battle plans."

Kyou said as Yamato flipped through the pages of the worn out book. Within it detailed each and every aspect of the Angels, their habits, their abilities, their appearances. Before D-day, Angels were only limited to twenty at any given time, and those twenty constantly switched with other NPCs at random. But within this guidebook detailed each and every NPC who had become an Angel, or was still one. Yamato came across one page that was titled 'EX Angel'. Strangely, not a lot was written on this entry as compared to the others.

"The EX Angel... I really hope we don't meet that one."

Kyou muttered gravely.

"Is it really that dangerous?"

"More than you ever think. No one really knows the true capabilities of the EX Angel, and I had only caught a mere glimpse of him, everyone could tell that he was extremely bad news. Only Kou can fight him on even footing, and even that battle lasted nearly ten days and nights in a row. Anyway, we have not seen any signs of the EX Angel this time round, so at least that is something good out of this nightmare."

Kyou muttered, throwing her weight against the back of the chair. According to the guidebook, the EX Angel appears when specific and violent environmental changes occur. If the EX Angel only appeared once, how could they be so certain what were the signs? But since it was written by the Guardians themselves, she guessed she could trust them.

"The main thing to take note of when fighting the Angels, is their shields. Regenerative abilities can be dealt with enough explosives and fire power, or a stab from a black essence weapon in the right area. No, their main defensive capability is their shields."

Kyou pointed out. Yamato knew all about the Angel Shields. Almost impossible to penetrate. It was a large distortion of the air around the Angle, allowing them to deflect projectiles of any sort. Melee weapons, however, were weighted, larger and were in direct control of the user, therefore allowing such weapons to by-pass their shields. But melee weapons came with an extremely large risk.

"We need to get close to get pass their shields and inflict damage."

That was the main problem that Yamato pointed out. Kyou nodded in agreement, knitting her eyebrows as she thought about the prospect of fighting toe-to-toe with an Angel. Worst case scenario being a fight with a Type S Angel.

"Most, if not all of our men cannot even stand up against a Type E Angel. We cannot expect them to fight head-on. Luckily for us, there is a tiny work around that."

Kyou said, getting up to her feet.

"Work-around?"

"Yes. If you look at the later entries of the Guardians, you can see that they discovered a flaw in the shields against projectiles."

Yamato flipped to the later pages and after reading through a few pages, found the answer Kyou was talking about.

"... This is-"

"Yes, this will be our trump card. But we only can get one shot at this. Best to make this work the first time."

* * *

_Front-lines, present_

And she will make this work. For this one shot, Yamato will gamble everything she has for it to work. She tapped her earpiece, connecting to the loudspeakers attached to her tank, and to the comms network.

"All men, now is the time! Press the attack! FORWARD!"

Yamato moved her tank forward, charging straight for the enemy, leading the wave of tanks that formed the line into a large charge of moving tanks.

"Load corrosive round, FIRE!"

Yamato's tank fired, sending the dangerous round straight into the enemy. The round passed through the shields and exploded into a crowd of Angels, sending them flying as well as disintegrating them with a strong acid.

"I-it... it works! The commander's round went through their shields!"

"We can do it!"

"Steel battalion, moving!"

"Don't let the commander go out alone! Give her some covering fire! Anvil Battalion, move out!"

The other tanks followed suit, firing their rounds as they advanced forward.

"Vector battalion, advancing!"

"Don't fall behind the tanks! Infantry, move up!"

A huge war cry erupted as the entire SSS2 front lines started to charge out against their enemies. Infantry rushed out of the trenches, charging while firing their weapons. APCs, rushing forward and ploughing through enemies before unloading their troops, who ended the lives of the crippled foe unfortunate enough to be in the way of the transports. Additional tanks from the rear pushed forward, catching up with the infantry that tried to push forward. They had gained their momentum. And it was all thanks to the Guardian's reports.

"What is going on, Commander?"

Yoshika asked as other tanks went past Hammer 1, charging straight and firing at the same time.

"The Angels have a weakness in their shields. They need to calibrate their shields to withstand a certain amount of force and pressure, thus rendering it useless against smaller and slower moving projectiles. The previous attack by the artillery battalions were meant to force the Angels to calibrate their shields to withstand heavy fire from the artillery batteries, and they aren't prepared for us."

Yamato explained. However, there were problems with this solution. One, most shields were created by lower ranked Angels, leaving the higher ranking ones, and the more dangerous ones to fight the enemies. The second problem was that once the shields were calibrated to withstand a certain magnitude impact, that memory would stay with the shields meaning even though the shields were to be recalibrated to withstand smaller rounds, the larger rounds would still be repelled against. The last problem... was how fast the shields could be recalibrated.

"... Press the attack!"

Yamato ordered. She will not let them recover to mount a counter-attack. Not at this stage.

* * *

_Forward Mobile Command Post, Avalon_

"Argos Battalion is moving up to the West."

"Steel and Anvil Battalion are on route to objective point."

"Knife battalion is engaging with hostile on the Eastern front."

"Sword Battalion is moving to reinforce the front-lines"

"Assault squadrons are engaging the enemy on all fronts."

The string of reports mindless entered her head, not completely registering as she looked down at the tactical map.

"Commander? Commander, are you alright?"

She looked up and saw one of the radio operators looking worryingly at her.

"... I'm alright. Do you need something?"

The radio operator looked slightly hesitant at her answer, but handed her the report anyway.

"The troops are pushing forward and taking out several shield holders, but at this rate, they may not be able to take out all in time for the recalibration."

"... I figured as much."

She muttered, looking back at the tactical map. The entire SSS2 was committed to the fight, not a single reserve unit remained. Even Tomoyo's unit was out in the field, adding support to Yamato's charge. The Battleship Yamato was continuing down stream, firing as it went along.

"... Have the troops continue their attack. Get Thunder battalion and the Battleship to concentrate fire on the Shadows at the rear of the enemy lines. Get Viking Battalion to push towards the West. We need those dormitory buildings cleared out to give ourselves the advantage."

"Yes ma'am."

The operator nodded and went back to his post to relay the orders. As she studied the map, she knew that the time would soon come. For now, they hold the advantage... but the true fight... has not started.

* * *

_Western Front, Dormitory buildings_

"Move, move, move!"

"Squad 4, take the third floor!"

"2nd squad, on me!"

The Assault infantry troops rushed the dormitories, taking the fight to the Angels themselves. They stormed each floor, kicking down doors and killing anything that moved inside. It was a massacre.

"Room clear!"

"Room clear!"

"Hallway clear!"

"Second floor, clear!"

"Shoot anything that isn't the SSS2! No matter who or what they say they are!"

He ordered as he walked into the lobby of the dormitory block C. Stepping on broken glass and pools of blood, he wondered if the world had all gone wrong. Fighting against NPCs. They weren't human, but they still resembled one. He stopped by a lifeless body of an NPC. Her dead, soul-less eyes staring hollowly at him. She could have been an unconverted NPC, just minding her own business without knowing what was happening. But it wasn't meant to be. All NPCs were their enemies. That was the order given from above. Don't leave a single one alive. He closed his eyes, wanting to shut out the image.

"Sergeant, all floors cleared."

A private reported to him. He opened his eyes, showing the stress and fatigue from all of this fighting. He just wanted to end it now.

"Get the snipers and machine gun nests at every window facing the enemy at the track field. The main force needs our support."

He ordered. This was the whole reason why the upper command wanted them to take control of the dormitories. For its prime location to provide heavy support for the troops down at the track field.

"Right away, sergeant."

The private responded and went off to relay his orders. He sighed, running his fingers through his sweat soaked hair. He paused, looking at his hand. There were strands of hair tangled between his fingers. Was he balding?

"... I'm getting too old for this."

* * *

_Front-lines_

_'"Commander, this is Assault force One. Our troops have taken over the Dormitories."'_

The comms unit in her headset announced.

"Good. Provide firing support from your position."

_'"Understood ma'am."'_

She tapped her earpiece to change frequencies of her radio.

"I want the entire Viking battalion to move up. We're pushing forward."

_'"Viking battalion here, we hear you command. Moving up."'_

"I want all P-1500 Monsters to-"

_'"C-Command! T-the tower! Something is happening!"'_

Her radio suddenly shouted. Something is happening? Yamato immediately turned her tank's visual to the dark tower that stood ahead. From the middle of the tower, a small light seemed to be radiating. The light slowly grew in brightness and intensity, growing in size as a feeling of dread started to seep into her. Whatever it was, it can't be good.

"What is that-"

Without warning, the light shot out an intense beam, cutting its way through the ground and tracing a line through the SSS2 line.

**BOOM**

The beam had caused an entire line of destruction, explosions following its lead killing SSS2 troops and destroying tanks that were caught in its path.

_'"C-commander!"'_

_'"AAHHHH!"'_

_'"M-My Legs!"'_

_'"T-they cut through Yaiko!"'_

_'"Dagger 4 and 6 are burning up!"'_

_'"P-Put it out! Put it out!"'_

_'"It burns!"'_

_'"S-Save me-"'_

_'"E-Enemies pushing through our lines!"'_

_'"The enemy is surrounding our Eastern flank!"'_

_'"A-Angels-GAHHH!"'_

_'"Dammit! Cannibals got our squad leader!"'_

_'"Angels are on the offensive!"'_

_'"Commander! We need to pull back!"'_

Pull back? Pull back to where? That crazy tower just shot out a beam that cut through their front line. And they had no retreat. They were all here, all fighting for their lives. Yamato knew that this was her all-in gambling hand. She was afraid of that tower as well. Afraid of what it could do. But still, she needed to press on.

"Don't give up! Do not falter! All units, FORWARD! Hammer Battalion, on me! Yoshika, full throttle!"

Yoshika was slightly stunned by her words, but then turned to her front.

"A-Aye ma'am! Full throttle! All Hammer, follow my lead!"

Yoshika shouted as she put the tank into high gear, digging up dirt as the giant metal machine sped forward.

_'"Hammer 2 to Hammer 1, We've got your back command."'_

_'"Hammer 6 to Hammer 1, following your lead commander."_

_'"Hammer 12, moving."'_

_'"Hammer 15, inbound."'_

_'"Hammer 10 to Hammer 4, get back in your lane!"'_

_'"Hammer 4 to Hammer 10, I came first, so get in line if you want to kill something!"'_

Hammer Battalion rushed forward, speeding past the retreating SSS2 troops and straight into their enemy, ramming into several Angels as they charged forward. Hammer Battalion, the command battalion of the front line, was forcing their way through the enemy offensive. One of the tanks rammed straight into an Angel that brought out his shields, preventing the tank from running him over, but the tank turned its turret at full speed, sending the long barrel of the tank straight into the side of the Angel and sending him flying off. Firing their rockets, Hammer Battalion rained down missiles onto the Angels and scattering the large amount of lower ranked Angels that were concentrated before them. The scene of their fearless charge made the fleeing SSS2 troops stop, rally together and charge once more.

"Fort troops, don't let the tanks get all the glory!"

"The commander is still fighting, let's give her all the back-up we have!"

"You're retreating the wrong way! The enemy is that way!"

"Assault Squad 2! Head the Eastern flank! Let's show those Angels what we're made of!"

"We are Viking Battalion! How can our P-1000 lose out to smaller Type 90 tanks? ! ALL VIKINGS! FORWARD!"

"What do you think you're doing? ! That's my rifle! Get your own!"

"Enemies are pressing forward!"

"Good! More enemies to kill!"

"You didn't get more kills than me! That Gigas only counts as 1!"

* * *

_Battleship, Yamato_

"Ten degrees down... Fire!"

The giant guns of the battleship Yamato fired its rounds into the sky, shelling down on positions given to them by spotters looking over the battle from a distance. While these spotters could fight, they were more used to hiding in places to give area coordination for artillery and for the Yamato.

"The enemy is spawning more Shadows. I guess they are trying to buy their Angels more time to recuperate."

One of Yamamoto Takanari's lieutenants said, looking over the map in the centre of the bridge.

"Then we must hit the Angels while they are running away!"

One shouted, banging his fist on the table.

"Don't be stupid, Shou. Those Angels have their shields calibrated to withstand our attacks. Shelling on their position would do nothing more than irritate them."

"Then what can we do? ! We can't just fire at the tower itself, can we?"

Takanari raised an eyebrow at that question.

"The tower..."

He muttered, looking over at the map. He trailed his finger along the river line then stopped.

"... Tenzo, what is the furtherest we can fire our guns?"

He asked one of his lieutenants who looked at him, surprised by the sudden question.

"A-about 10 Kilometres."

Tenzo replied.

"Captain, you're not thinking of firing on the tower, are you? On a normal day, our guns can hit any position on the school grounds and even beyond, but this isn't a normal day! Not only is that tower massively distorted, but the entire school grounds have expanded nearly a hundred times!"

One of the lieutenants spoke up.

"The entire track field is nearly a hundred kilometres in length now. It must be the doing of the tower."

"Or it could be the massive concentration of black essence in the area."

Tenzo added. Takanari rubbed his chin in thought. He would stroke his beard if he had one.

"... 10 Kilometres, am I right?"

Takanari asked once more. Tenzo wanted to say something but kept silent, simply nodding in reply. Takanari took a ruler and measured the distance on the map.

"... I see. Right, there is one place we can use. Here."

Takanari said, pointing to a certain point along the river. His lieutenants all looked at the point his finger was at and-

"Captain! you can't be serious!"

"That's in the middle of Angel territory! The tanks haven't been able to push that far yet!"

"And what's worse is that is where the bridge is! We can't get into position with the bridge in the way!"

BAM

Takanari silenced everyone with his fist banging on the table.

"... Listen to yourselves. Are you all the same men I fought with for so many years? We have sworn to fight till the death and at any cost to attain victory."

Takanari said, narrowing his eyes at his lieutenants who were all left speechless.

"... B-but captain, the bridge is in the way."

"Even if we fire on the bridge with this amount of black essence around, the bridge would merely regenerate immediately-"

"Don't worry about it, Tenzo. I've got a plan. Youmu!"

Takanari shouted to the helmsman.

"Sir!"

"I want this ship at full speed! Do not slow down, do not stop. We shall take this river all the way down to the school area, am I clear?"

"Aye sir!"

With that, Takanari smiled, looking at his lieutenants as his plan finally dawned upon them.

"C-captain, you don't mean- Captain! The ship would be unable to withstand such an impact!"

"There isn't a point in life you should waste on mere speculations without trying! Full speed ahead! We will ram it to the ground!"

* * *

_Forward Mobile Command Unit, Avalon_

"Battleship Yamato is increasing its speed!"

The report suddenly came in, making her look up.

"What? Where is it heading?"

Kyou asked.

"It's heading down river. Destination... it's heading straight for the school!"

The school? The strategists were all murmuring amongst themselves, no doubt this sudden change in plans had caught them all by surprise. Yamamoto Takanari. She knew him all the way back when he was just a recruit. He was headstrong and had a good mind for strategy. Kyou was the one who nominated him to be the Heavy's Squad leader. Unfortunately, he was often brash with the choices presented to him. While his objective is sound, his choice of getting there was more or less questionable. Kyou traced his current route on her map. His path will take him through the middle of Angel territory. But she knew he had a plan. He was good at getting into trouble but at the same time he was good at getting out of said troubles. She knew that trying to change his mind now was pointless.

"... Connect me to the Yamato."

"Y-yes ma'am!"

The operator flipped a few switches before the loud speakers in the command post crackled to life.

"This is Avalon Command. Battleship Yamato, explain your course."

Kyou spoke out loud enough for the microphone to pick up her voice.

_'"... This is Battleship Yamato's captain, Yamamoto Takanari. Our course of action is clear, Avalon Command. We will bring our ship as close to the tower as possible and fire upon it."'_

So that was his plan. She knew he was reckless, but to this extent?

"You do know that you would have to enter enemy territory without any back-up. Are you still willing to proceed?"

_'"We are well aware of the risk, Avalon Command. We will continue on course as planned."'_

Kyou closed her eyes with a slight smile. Though she knew that their fate would be sealed with this decision, if they were willing to do it, she could not stop them.

"... Alright. Battleship Yamato, continue course of action. Good luck. Avalon Command out."

_'"Thank you Avalon Command. See you on the other side. Battleship Yamato out."'_

With that, the connection of cut. The strategists and operators all turned to look at Kyou, waiting for whatever reaction she might have. Silence fell on the command post, only the various beeping sounds from the computer systems cut through the deadly still silence. Kyou knew that this war would have risks. Without such a gamble, they would not have made such a push for their goal. Casualties are inevitable. She knew that. She opened her eyes, looking up to all of the members in the command post. All waiting for her. For her word. For her command. She could only smile at that thought. Her word... her words were meaningless back then. And now they all look to her for them?

"... Such irony.."

She muttered before clenching her fist and slamming it onto the table.

"All units, start phase 3 of the Operation! Let's kick things into high gear!"

"YES MA'AM!"

* * *

_Front-lines_

"Thunder Battalion is on the move!"

"What?"

Yamato looked away from her visor and pressed her ear piece deeper into her ear to get a clear hearing.

_'"This is Thunder Battalion catapult squad. We're moving in with phase 3."'_

The static made little difference to Yamato. Phase three. So Kyou was moving ahead with her plans. She looked ahead. The troops were pushing hard against the Angels and the Shadows but their adversaries were not given ground easily. If that was the case...

"... Hammer 1 to ground troops. Phase 3 has been activated. I repeat, phase 3 has been activated. All Forward attackers, switch arms and prepare to commence main assault."

Yamato spoke calmly yet strongly through the comms. All was silent on the networks for a few seconds. Then one by one, the infantry troops began to drop their rifles. They took their spare ammunitions out of their holders and dropped them onto the ground like their rifles. Assault and Fort soldiers began to discard their main weapons, dropping them or throwing aside. Though not all of the soldiers did it, it was clear that nearly 70 percent of the entire SSS2 ground troops were participating in this action. This action caught the Angels by surprise and it caused them to pause in their attacks. Then, the soldiers who discarded their rifles pulled their winter cloaks aside, each revealing another weapon by their sides or backs.

"BATOU!"

All of the soldiers drew their new weapons. Swords, maces, spears, axes, war hammers, two handed swords, tridents, rapiers, daggers. The gleaming edges of the sharpened weapons reflected the fierce determination in the eyes of their wielders as well as the fear within the eyes of their enemies.

"... CHARGE!"

**" "OOOOUUUUUU!" "**

With one unified mighty war cry, the SSS2 charged once more, heading straight for their nemesis. The Angels switched their weapons to rifles and guns, shooting at the charging SSS2 and trying to cut down as many as possible but they would not stop. Their charge rushed at the Angels like a tidal wave, swallowing all in their wake with torrents of steeled weaponry. With close range weapons, the Angels were forced to abandon their shields as they were useless against the heavier weight of swords. Troops charged in, slicing, cutting their foes. Foes who were caught by surprise by the sudden change in tactics that they could do little than to flounder and be cut down. Those that managed to defend against the initial attack were quickly swarmed and cut down as well. The Angels were on the run.

"Now! Tank battalions, press the attack!"

_'"Roger!"'_

The tanks began their charge once more, this time following the lead of the infantry troops into the battle. Yamato knew that this turn of the tide will only last for a small window. But even so, such a window must still be taken-

"C-commander! The tower is-"

"What? !"

It was too fast. The window of opportunity was too short! The tower charged once more and fired its beam, cutting through the SSS2 forces once more. Infantry were cut through like a knife through butter. Make that a heated knife through melted butter. Tanks were sliced cleanly through, exploding into fiery infernos of death that consumed not only those within but those around the tank.

"Tch! Don't falter! Keep attacking!"

Yamato ordered furiously. She could not let the enemy get a chance to counter their attack.

_'"Shadows are on the move!"'_

_'"G-Gigas! A whole group of them!"'_

She looked forward and saw them. Giant, towering monstrosities of dark mist. There had to be more than a thousand of them. That was too much.

"... But even if it is too much, I cannot falter here!"

"Commander! There's something going on behind enemy lines!"

Yoshika shouted. Yamato looked through her visor and saw it. A sort of shining light at the back of the enemy forces. Was it some sort of super weapon the enemy was bringing out into the field? Or was it some sort of summoning? Either way it didn't spell too good for them. Then she saw them. Snow white feathers.

"... Wings?"

* * *

_Battleship Yamato_

"Hard to port!"

"Enemies are approaching from both Port and Starboard sides!"

"Get fire teams to shoot them before they can reach the ship! Aim those AA guns to add more fire power!"

"MORTARS!"

"Hard to starboard!"

"Too late! Brace for impact!"

**BOOM**

The bridge rocked violently as the ship was hit by enemy fire. Yamamoto Takanari held onto the table to steady himself, clenching his teeth as the situation started to get worse with each passing second. The enemy had noticed their presence as expected and were attacking en masse.

"Fire down on deck 7!"

"Engineering deck is flooding!"

"Seal those decks!"

"But we still have men down there!"

"Shadows are approaching!"

"What the hell are the fire teams doing? !"

Takanari demanded as the ship rocked violently once more.

"A-All fire teams are combating Shadows that boarded from the Starboard side!"

"Shadows boarding from our Port side!"

The enemy was far superior in number than he realized. But that did not change his plan. They were already so deep into enemy territory that there was no going back.

"Far far more to the bridge? !"

Takanari shouted to the navigator.

"Twenty more minutes!"

"Good! Hold steady on course! I will stop them!"

Takanari shouted, grabbing his rifle from the weapon's locker on the bridge are ran out, followed by several of his lieutenants and guards. The ship was taking on heavy damage and leaks were sprung almost everywhere. Fire was raging below decks and could be seen from the stairways. He was about to take the main stairwell but a sudden explosion rocked the entire ship. Takanari scrambled to his feet and looked down the stairwell.

"This way is no good. We'll have to-... Take the other stairwell down to the deck level. I'll meet you guys there."

Takanari said as he looked down the main stairwell that had fire flicking down below. The lieutenants and guards looked confused but nodded and hurried off.

"... Now then."

Takanari readied his rifle at the bottom of the stairwell, knowing that something was approaching. And sure enough, engulfed in flames was a Shadow, opening its gaping dark mouth as though it was some sort of fire demon.

"Die you damn monsters!"

Takanari shouted, firing rounds into the Shadow before pulling out a grenade from his pocket. Pulling the pin, he tossed the grenade down the stairwell and took cover. The explosion that followed was minute compared to the mortar shelling from the enemy but it was still quite an impact. Takanari got up and looked down, seeing a large hole where the stairs once were. No enemy would be using this way any more He closed the hatch of the door and sealed it shut before picking up his rifle and hurrying off after the others. Rushing down the stairs, another blast violently shook the ship, causing Takanari to miss a step, falling and slamming against the steel wall. He was sure he dislocated his arm.

"Tch..."

He gritted his teeth to endure the pain as he made his way down the stairs and out onto the deck. The deck was in a complete state of chaos, large holes punched through the floor deck, flames were all around, Shadows were starting to pour over the railings and the various teams of fighters were trying to push the enemy back. They were being completely overrun. But he would not give up here. Not now, not in this hour. He looked at his dislocated arm. Without it he could not fight at full strength. Clenching his teeth, he placed his rifle onto the floor with the stock of the rifle facing up. Taking in a deep breath, he forced his arm onto the rifle, slamming his full weight against it. The stock pushed his arm hard, snapping the joints back into place.

"NNNNGGGHHH!"

He tried not to scream out. The pain was immense and almost unbearable. But for this, he will do almost anything to ensure his mission succeeds. Getting up to his feet, Takanari wiped the sweat from his brows. His vision was slightly blurred from the pain but he could still fight. Picking up his rifle, he steadied his aim. He could see the bridge closing in. They were very close.

"... Time to wreck havoc."

* * *

_Forward Mobile Command Post, Avalon_

"Battleship Yamato, taking on heavy enemy fire."

"Vision Battalion has been wiped out."

"Vector Battalion is taking heavy casualties"

"Wolves 1st regiment is being routed."

"Edge 3rd regiment is facing heavy resistance."

These were not the kind of reports she wanted to hear. Fujibayashi Kyou stared at the war map, watching as the fight began to take on a darker turn. Going in close combat was a good idea to push the enemy and force them to be on the defensive, but with that tower shooting lasers and cutting through their ranks, it was a pointless assault. The enemy had also managed to get nearly a hundred Gigas class Shadows out onto the field.

"Commander, troops on the field are reporting a new type of enemy."

Now that was really bad news.

"A new type? What sort of enemy has appeared now?"

Kyou asked back, concerned by this sudden change of events. It was too much too fast.

"The Angels... troops are reporting that there are several flying Angels."

"... WHAT? !"

"Reports from the ground report winged Class B and above Angel type enemies are appearing on the battlefield!"

"Guard 1 is engaging Winged Angels."

"What are they fighting the enemy with?"

"Guard 1 reports that they are using H.A.I.L. belts and nets to bring the flying enemies down but it is taking too long."

Kyou stared in disbelief as the news started to hit her. Flying enemies? They had no counter for that sort of enemy! They had never faced any enemy who flew! The tanks were not equipped for anti-air offensives and the majority of the ground forces had discarded their rifles for close range combat! Since when did the enemy hide this sort of power? !

_'"We didn't know such abilities exist either, Fujibayashi."'_

Iris's cold voice came through the comms network.

"Is there a way to combat them?"

_'"... Thus far what Guard 1 is doing is the most effective other than spraying bullets into the air and hope to hit something. But only troops with the right training can possibly even hope to score a hit. We can only trust Guard 1 for this task."'_

Iris replied, her slight change in tone suggesting that she was as frustrated about this as Kyou was.

"That is not something I can do!"

Kyou snapped, slamming her fists on the war map.

_'"... So what do you plan on doing?"'_

Kyou closed her eyes. She knew what she had to do. There was nothing left but that. She opened her eyes once more and looked up.

"I will go onto the battlefield."

_'"... Hmph, so the Boar has finally awakened."'_

"I will not let the SSS2 simply vanish and die in vain before this threat! Taizo! You're in charge of this command post now!"

Kyou shouted, turning around and grabbing her coat.

"Yes ma'am!"

Just as Kyou was about to leave the command room, a sudden blaring sound alerted all within the room.

"The tower is charging up!"

"Where is it aiming at? !"

"Calculating trajectory-"

"Too late! Tower is firing!"

"H-Hammer Battalion is hit!"

That report struck Kyou the hardest. Hammer Battalion. Yamato. Without a moment's hesitation, Kyou dashed out of the command room while the Operators were still frantically trying to re-establish communications with Hammer 1 but to no avail.

"Avalon to Hammer 1. Come in Hammer 1. RESPOND DAMMIT!"

* * *

_Front-lines_

Her ears were ringing. Her head was feeling heavy like a dead weight of lead mixed with mercury. What sort of weight is that? Her vision was dark and her body was numb. She couldn't feel anything. Was she dead? What a stupid question. She's already dead. But was she dead-'dead' dead... What the heck is that? Dead dead dead? There was no need to repeat that three times! And even so, what sort of meaning was that? ! It was like some weird chant by a baby cultist who probably thought the strawberry was the ultimate sacrifice to make to the pagan pet cat or something and summon extra servings of milk.

Ah, this was bad, her mind was going nuts by thinking weird stuff again. Why must her brain work in such weird manners? Nevermind. Back to her current situation. She had 'died' before in this Afterlife and she knew how it felt. Definitely not like this. She could still think of flying monkeys and the weird after-taste of the takoyaki from that stall back at the Fortress. So she wasn't dead. Wait... after-taste? As she thought about it, feelings began to come back to her. The numbness was soon replaced with a dull throbbing pain that coursed throughout her body. Colour started to come back to her sights. Shapes. She could make out some shapes.

"...Ha... Ava... come... mer..."

A strange sound was not clearly registering in her ears. What was it? She tried to focus.

"... Hammer... Ava... Repeat..."

She blinked a few times. She was sitting in a large mess. Dented metal with holes, wires everywhere. She tried to remember what happened. Angels... Wings. That's right, she spotted the new type of Angels who could fly and had instructed Guard 1 to use the HAIL belts to take them down. Then what happened? She remembered giving orders to the ground troops... then... a sound? No.. the tower. That's right, the tower. She could vaguely recall Yoshika telling her that the tower was charging up. Then brightness, then darkness. So, she was hit by the tower's beam. But somehow it didn't hit her directly. Her tank, Hammer 1, was badly damaged. The hull was dented in at so many angles and holes in them that could allow her to see the battle outside. Her headset was snapped in two and the radio hails from other units were barely getting through the static. Sparks flew from exposed circuits and wires, making her flinch.

She cleared her vision and saw that a large piece of metal was sticking out from her abdomen. She did not even realize she was injured. She grabbed onto the metal and gritting her teeth, she yanked out the metal piece, causing a large amount of pain to sear throughout her entire body. But her body was still somewhat numb thus it dulled most of the pain. She had no way to bandage the wound but thankfully it wasn't fatal. The piece had missed all of her organs and just stabbed her. She could bleed out but for now she had to hold on. She looked at the other two crew members of Hammer 1. Wataru was completely gone. Only an arm remained. Yoshika. Yoshika was in a bad shape but at least she was still in one piece.

"C-Commander... g-good to s-see y-you're... o-okay."

Yoshika croaked, forcing a smile. Yamato tried to reach out to her driver but the wreckage was blocking her way.

"G-go, C-commander... I-I'll c-catch up..."

"Yoshika..."

Yamato knew that if she left Yoshika in here, Yoshika could end up converted, or worse... disappear. She tried to reach out once more but the gap was too small. Yoshika simply smiled, shaking her blood covered head.

"I-I just need... a... little... nap."

Yoshika smiled as her eyes closed slowly and her body simply slumped. Yamato gritted her teeth. She did not want to leave Yoshika like this, but she had no choice. She looked up and saw that the hatch was broken at the hinges. She pushed the hatch aside, letting the cold air flow in. The sounds of battle seemed so distant though she knew that she was right in the middle of it. She pushed herself up, wincing slightly at the pain that bit at her side, and forced herself out of the wreckage. The battle was still on going around her as she pulled herself out of the tank. The tower's beam had cut a clean path just a few centimetres away from her own tank, thus allowing her to escape most of the damage but the after blast was what got her tank in the end. Several field medics were battling their way towards the wreckages with Fort infantry pushing forward to guard the medics and buy them time.

Yamato looked behind and saw that her weapon was still attached to the rear of the tank in one piece. Her legs were still not able to walk properly, thus she had to pull herself across the smoking hull of her tank, reaching to the rear and unfastening the grips that held her weapon in place. Her weapon, Gestugan-Tengan, was free from any scratches, burns or any visible damage. As expected of Musashi, the weapons he make were tough and durable. The weight of the weapon seemed to heavy now. Perhaps she had lost more strength that she realized just by climbing out. She let her body slide off the side of the tank, landing straight into the dirt below. She winced at the pain, using her weapon to prop herself up.

"Commander! It's the commander! I need a team right away!"

She heard one of the medics shout. She looked up and saw a team of medics rushing over to her. But suddenly a large Shadow jumped at them, catching them off guard. The sheer impact of the Shadow's appearance caused the medics and her to lose their footing. She hit the floor on her wounded side hard, causing an immense pain to stab at her.

"C-cannibal!"

"GAAAHH!"

"Yoshihiko!"

"S-stay away!"

The medics had no guard with them and soon they were all devoured by the Shadow. It was a grisly sight to see and Yamato could do nothing. The pain was immense and though her vision was slightly blurred by it, she could still make out the blood, the torn limbs, all over the place. The cannibal noticed her and started to head towards her. Was this her end? Was this how she would die? Well, she was dead already, but was it how she would lose to fate? She forced herself to sit up, blood from a wound on her head started to colour her vision red. She grabbed a dropped magazine and pushed it into her weapon. The cannibal had no idea what she was doing and simply continued to lumber towards her with its blood stained jaws gaping at her. She aimed her weapon at the cannibal, her aim unstable and wandering. But she will survive. No matter what. She gritted her teeth as she squeezed the trigger.

"Die you bloody monster!"

Her weapon discharged the bullets in a hail storm of lead, peppering the cannibal, forcing it to stop and stagger back as bullets tore through its body. Yamato held onto the trigger until no more bullets were fired, only the clicking sound of the empty chamber was left. The cannibal staggered a little but wasn't down. She yanked out the empty magazine and snapped the weapon open, picking up a mortar shell and slotting it inside the main chamber, snapping the weapon back and aiming it at the cannibal.

"Get lost."

She muttered as she pulled the trigger. The cannon fired the shell straight at the cannibal. The mortar shell exploded upon impact, creating an explosion that tore the cannibal into shreds and it nearly sent Yamato flying if it weren't for the wreckage of her tank. Yamato held onto her tank as the wind from the blast died down. The dust settled, revealing a large crater where the cannibal once stood. The Shadow was gone but how many more were left on the field? As if right on cue, a few more Shadows appeared, attracted by the suddenly explosions on the field. Yamato looked around her. No more ammunition were lying around for her to use. The Shadows had noticed her and were closing in for the kill. It was weird. Yamato, who had never feared death, was feeling... shaky.

Deep within, she knew it. She was trying to be strong on the outside. Trying to convince others that she was strong. Trying to convince herself that she was strong. She wasn't. She wasn't strong at all. She was just a girl. A simple girl. One who lost her family to madness and the cruel fate of the World. She tried to be strong, strong enough to survive, strong enough to prevent herself from being used by others. But no matter how hard she tried to be strong, she could never change who she was within. The Shadows were starting to get close. So this was her end? She had faced countless impossible battles. She had been outmatched, outwitted at every turn. Yet she still pulled through. No matter how, where or what she had always gotten through. This will be no different.

"Access: Bookmarker!"

A large thick blade flew straight at the Shadows, piercing through one Cannibal type Shadow before impacting the ground and causing an explosion to engulfed the others.

"Kusanagi!"

She turned at the call of her name and saw Fujibayashi Kyou running towards her. What was the Command post's leader doing here? She was meant to look at the entire field... unless the situation was that bad.

"Kusanagi! Are you alright?"

Kyou asked, running up to Yamato and kneeling down to inspect the wounds.

"They... aren't... that bad.."

Yamato muttered, wincing at the pain as Kyou took a bandage to wrap the wound at her abdomen.

"They are bad! You'll bleed out if you don't get medical help soon!"

"I'll... heal... before... I die..."

"Don't be stupid!"

Yamato only smirked at that reply.

"What.. is the leader... doing... out in front?"

"Saving your sorry ass! Bite down hard, this is going to hurt."

Kyou warned before she pulled the bandage to tighten it.

"MNGGH!"

Yamato muffled her scream the best she could. The pain was sharp and intense to point where she almost blacked out. Kyou wiped away her sweat as she began to dress the other wounds.

"The battle field is a mess. We have the Western line breaking apart and our Eastern point too far into enemy territory. Let's not forget the giant tower of death beams and the new flying Angels, so yeah, I have to come out. I may only have a small battalion with me, but at least it's something."

"... Your battalion... better be good."

Yamato muttered, lifting a finger and pointing behind Kyou. Kyou turned around and saw what Yamato meant. Towering over them was a Gigas with three flying Angels with it. Kyou grabbed her bookmarker sword and stood guard in front of the wounded Yamato. Kyou had already wasted a large portion of her energy getting to where Yamato was. Maintaining her bookmarker weapon was taking up most of her remaining energy. She could not fight the enemy on even terms but she still fared a better chance than Yamato. Still her chances were not good.

"This... is the...end.."

Yamato muttered. Kyou gritted her teeth. Yamato was losing hope. Was this really the end? No. Kyou steadied her weapon as her eyes reflected her determination to live.

"No... it isn't the end. Not yet. Not for you, not for me, not for the SSS2. We are still alive and we will live through this. We will keep on living till our very last breath because we are the SSS2!"

"GOOD! That is the sort of determination that will guide you onto your path!"

A sudden and powerful voice shouted, making all to pause and look for its owner. Somehow, it sounded distant.

"What the-"

"Here we go- WOAHHOLYSHITI'MFREEFALLINGFROMTHESKYBUTTHI SISKINDOFCOOLINITSOWNWAYSOWH ATHETHECKSUPERYURIPPEHEAVENL YFALLINGSTAR-KIIIICCK!"

Like a giant meteor, something... or someone, fell from the sky at extreme speeds straight into the Shadows before Kyou.

BOOM

And resulted in an explosion that could be described as cataclysmic. Kyou shielded both herself and Yamato from the blast with her Bookmarker weapon, gritting her teeth as the violent after-shock hit them like a tidal wave. The blast itself was terrifying as Shadows in the vicinity were literally blown away like rag dolls. SSS2 fighters managed to use their weapons and various objects to prevent themselves from being taken for a ride like their enemies. The shock soon ended and the dust began to settle. Kyou looked over her cover to see who was it exactly who suddenly appeared. A friend? Or foe? Standing in the middle of a large crater was a girl. A young girl with shoulder length dark purple hair kept back by her black hair band. Her emerald eyes seem to twinkle with mischief, danger, and power. She wore the SSS uniform, but unlike Kyou and Yamato's it seemed newer, more... original. Not to mention, it lacked the '2' that was written on the emblem.

"Aicha~ I messed up my big time appearance! It's like a super idol who suddenly gotten an appearance at the concert but tripped over the cord of the mike!"

... Eh? What was this girl suddenly talking about?

"Maybe if I try to pretend that it didn't happen-... but that's not going to work since everyone is looking at me."

The girl muttered with a sigh. Kyou suddenly realized it. Could it be? Could that person be-

"... The... SSS?"

The girl smiled, grinning from ear to ear.

"Yo."

* * *

A/N: GA HA HA HA HA! CLIFF HANGER! Well, better than the last time. And I'll be updating sooner than before


	45. Chapter 45

A/N: Sorry for the late post! I wanted to post it earlier but my internet had taken a nose dive into oblivion. No clue what happened. Perhaps it was all of the rain?

Anyway, I'm putting this out now just before I fly off... TO JAPAN! I'm taking a short break from work for now. Too much had gone wrong at work recently and I need a break.

Well, here we go!

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 45_

_Battle for the School: Ghosts of the Past_

This young girl, no older they were, came crashing through the sky like a rocket, obliterated the Shadows with one hit, made a crater the size of a tank, and said... yo? And what was that whole thing before? Just as Kyou was about to ask, an inhuman screech made all turn. A cannibal type Shadow, one that had feasted on its own comrades and the bodies of the fallen, had not been blown away in the blast and was charging towards the young girl. A powered up Cannibal. It would take a tank to take it out and even so the Tank would suffer a long and tough battle against one. The large cannibal charged straight for the girl but she did not seem to react much to it. Only... a smile.

".. They sure have changed over the years I've been gone."

She smirked before reaching to her side and drawing a single beretta pistol. A lone pistol?

"Osuwari."

She said before pulling the trigger. What went off was a gun shot but what happened... was not. With that one shot, the cannibal was made still. It seemed as though it was frozen on the spot but what happened was the fact that it had a large hole in the middle of his head made by that one pistol. What in the World is that pistol? But more importantly to Kyou and Yamato, just who is that girl?

"Hmm, things have gotten far worse than I had anticipated. Hm? Wow, they now have flying types. Was it an improvement on Kanade-chan's wing program?"

The girl seemed to ignore all signs of danger around her as she looked up to the flying Angels. One Angel in particular decided it was a good idea to attack the newcomer, transforming his hand into a blade and flew straight at her. However the newcomer did not seem to be all so alarmed. It all happened in a blink of an eye as the newcomer side-stepped the attack, grabbed the wrist of the Angel and did a judo flip on him, slamming him into the ground before pulling out her pistol and pressing it against the Angel's head.

"Checkmate."

She pulled the trigger and the shot made short work of the Angel. She just handled a Class B Angel like he was nothing? Just what was going on? The girl stood back up and dusted her hands.

"Well, it's time to clean up."

The girl smirked as the Angels began to encircle her, cautious of attacking her.

"Who are you? !"

One of the Angels demanded, pointing an accusing finger at the newcomer. The girl merely smiled.

"Who am I? I am nobody, yet everybody. I am a child, yet a leader. I am the avenger, yet the appeased. I have come to right the wrongs of my past and to correct the present of these lost souls."

She raised her hand high into the sky and pointed skyward.

"With my call, I am the blade that shall strike into the weakness of all!"

All looked up towards the sky. At first there was nothing, but then-

"Is that-"

Before Kyou could finish her sentence, multiple... things, came crashing down from the sky.

"NO GOD!"

**BOOM**

"NO BUDDHA!"

**BOOM**

"NO ANGEL!"

**BOOM**

Each of these crashes made a small crater and standing within them were-

"M-more of them? !"

The Angel retreated a few steps upon seeing what just happened. From the sky, about twenty young men and women came soaring through the air and crashing into the ground just like the first girl. Each of them wearing the SSS uniform.

"Yurippe, you shouldn't just jump out like that, it gave everyone a heart attack, especially Noda."

One of the newcomers mentioned, walking over to the first girl.

"Oh, took you long enough, Hinata. Where is Noda anyway?"

"Over there."

The one called Hinata pointed to one particular guy who came crashing down with the rest but somehow messed up his landing and ended up with his head in the ground.

"... Idiot. But never-mind about him. All of you have arrived, and that is all that is necessary. So everyone! What are we? !"

The girl shouted out loud and all of the newcomers shouted back in unison.

"WE ARE THE BLADE OF VENGEANCE FOR OUR DESPAIR! WE ARE THE LIGHT THAT SHINES THROUGH THE DARKNESS! WE ARE THE REBELS AGAINST GOD! WE ARE THE SSS!"

Their shout was strong and fierce, forcing all enemies in the vicinity to retreat back. Whoever they were, they were very bad news. The girl nodded and smiled.

"Yes! We are the SSS! The ones who defied the heavens and forced the hands of fate to turn! And I am their leader, Nakamura Yuri."

* * *

The SSS. The legendary predecessors of the SSS2. Fujibayashi Kyou had never thought she would be able to see them, let alone meet them in person. They were no different from the rest of the SSS2, but they held a certain dignity, a certain aura that made them stand out. They were something that the SSS2 could never amount to be. Like an unattainable goal that stood before them, an impossibility made possible.

"The... SSS?"

Kyou muttered. Yamato knew what this meant to all of them. To all of the SSS2. The large majority of the SSS2 had long come to terms with their past, with their regrets, but they were afraid. Afraid of what lay beyond the passage of passing on. Afraid to lose themselves and what they had accomplished. They hated the World and wanted to curse their fates that brought them to ruin but in actual fact they were simply waiting. Waiting for something, someone to tell them that it was alright. That they were not alone. The SSS2 had brought together thousands of like-minded individuals into a single entity, one sole entity of despair and fear. It wasn't meant to be like that. The SSS2 was meant to be like their predecessors, trying to take down God, trying to take on the cruel fate of their lives. Along the way they became different, moulded by decades of constant war against the program and the system. And now? Now the SSS stood before them, a testament of what they had spent the last decades doing... was all for naught.

"No, it wasn't in vain."

The one called Nakamura Yuri suddenly spoke up, surprising everyone as though she read their minds.

"Your lives, your fight, your struggles! They were all never in vain! The tears you shed, the blood you've spilt! Those are the testaments of your lives!"

Her words resonated strongly in them. It made their bodies tingle with excitement, their minds clear of doubt, their hearts true, their determinations solid.

"If you are truly the ones who have inherited the will of the SSS, then STAND! STAND AND FIGHT!"

The SSS2 all slowly began to stand up once more. Her words were filling them with the one thing they needed, hope.

"The fight is never over until the last of the enemy has been defeated!"

Yuri shouted, pointing her finger and directing all of the SSS2's attention onto the enemy. The enemy of their lives, of their despair, of their pain. The flying Angel sneered at her, pointing his own bladed arm at the leader of the SSS.

"Such feeble attempts to force these weaklings to stand. Their hope and souls are already crushed! No matter what you do is useless!"

The Angel laughed maniacally. The leader of the SSS simply sighed, shaking her head.

"What a dumb over-used small-fry bad guy line in some B-grade game. Don't they have something better to say than that?"

The one called Nakamura Yuri closed her eyes and rubbed her temples with obvious signs of disappointment. This made the Angel rather angry but before he could do anything, she looked up with a smile.

"Still, it doesn't matter what they say or do. By my name as the leader of the SSS, I will bring down the hammer of justice and right my own mistakes. I will put an end to this madness and close this chapter of insanity. So do me a favour, and just die."

Just as she said that, something flew straight at the Angel. A missile. The Angel did not have time to do anything to defence. So, he put a stupid face just before he disappeared in a ball of fiery explosions when the missile impacted him. As bits of burning Angel rained down on ground, the one called Yuri smiled and pointed towards the sky once more.

"The day of reckoning has come."

From the skies they appeared. No, they weren't shooting comets of flying people. Rather, what the SSS2 saw shocked them.

"W-what the hell? !"

* * *

He looked down at the rifle in his hand. Taking out the magazine, he checked the bullets that filled its plastic case. How long has it been since he actually used one of these?

"Worried?"

He looked up, seeing the young man who sat across him. Worried? Maybe he was. The bumps of the ride did little to ease that either.

"... Not really."

He replied, slapping the magazine back into the rifle. Placing the rifle by his side, he looked around, seeing the different men and women who sat in this bumpy ride, all awaiting for the word to be given. All dressed in the same type of clothing, him included. He looked down at his own shirt. Though it was modified heavily and sported many military equipment, it still had the basic shape and form of a school uniform.

"... Why do we have to wear this anyway?"

He asked out loud, obviously unhappy about the whole arrangement. The young man opposite him laughed at his despair.

"I know it's not like us to wear school uniforms, but it's like our leader said, it's for this mission only."

"I know what the leader said, I was there."

He grumbled.

"Well, this is all for our sake as well. We help the Japs, they help us in turn. Fair trade, is it not?"

Helping the Japanese team. While he did not seriously think they could provide anything of use, it turns out he was wrong. They all were. Except for their leader.

"Still, who knew the Japs had the technology to connect Worlds? With this, we can really go back to our own 'World' and finish off that bastard!"

"Calm down Jackson. Being all riled up gets you nowhere, happened back in the other World and it didn't end too well for you."

One of the other guys spoke up, making all laugh. The guy opposite him only smiled sheepishly back.

"Kyle."

He looked up at the call of his name and saw the team leader walking over to him.

"While I know you do not trust outsiders much, try to put up with this. It's as Jackson said. We help the Japanese, they help us although just giving us this technology is more than enough help."

The team leader said, scratching the back of his head.

"... True. It seems like we're simply repaying the favour more than trying to earn one from them... Still, why do we have to call ourselves after them?"

"For simplicity sake. With so many teams coming in, we can't keep track of who is what. The same will go for them when they come to our side. Besides, since this mission is a request from the Japanese, they will be the ones in command, not that I mind."

The team leader replied with a slight smile. It was then the communications crackled to life.

_'"This is SSS (Japan), Kamiya Yuzuru, to all SSS units. Deploy and engage the enemy."'_

The team leader merely smiled at that, before turning to the rest.

"Alright boys and girls, ready up!"

At his call, all the team members picked up their weapons and checked them one last time. The team leader nodded and started to brief them on their mission.

"We are the leader's main elite strike team and we're going back into hell! Though a different sort of hell, it is still hell nonetheless! From what I hear about this technology we're using, it allows us to connect to specific Afterlives and at the request of our Japanese comrades, we have entered their Afterlife. Though we can take more hits than those already in hell, we are unable to revive. That means we die in hell, we get rebooted out of here and are unable to jump back in for at least a whole day! That is as good as being dead! Check your sixes and make sure to go in groups. The enemy we are facing are mainly Shadow types but there is a new type of enemy that none of us have faced before, the Angels. They are specific to the Japanese Afterlife and are the NPCs that have gone out of control and are of a significant threat to any and all. Do not hesitate and take them down in groups!"

"Damn Japs and their robots dolls, never making anything easy, are they?"

Jackson muttered.

"Our mission is to clear out the enemy! No fancy ideas, no big explosions! Kate, I mean you especially."

"Tch."

He heard someone cluck their tongue in disappointment. The team leader ignore that sound and continued.

"Right! We are about the hit dirt soon. On your feet UP!"

At his call, all jumped to their feet.

"We are the sword of justice!"

The team leader shouted.

"We are the ones who cleave through evil!"

The rest shouted back.

"We are the hammer of light!"

The team leader shouted again.

"We will smite through the darkness!"

They shouted back.

"And as we walk-"

"The Earth will shudder!"

"Into hell-"

"FEET FIRST!"

"Load up and roll out!"

"UURAAA!"

* * *

From the skies they came in the thousands, with their heavy weaponry and steel plated hulls. The giant rotors roaring and deafening all, kicking up dust clouds as they neared the ground. Helicopters.

_'"This is SSS (Japan), Kamiya Yuzuru, to all SSS units. Deploy forces and engage the enemy."'_

The comms network suddenly blared out from an unknown origin.

_'"This is SSS (USA), we hear you mission command."'_

_'"SSS (England), solid copy."'_

_'"Understood, SSS (Germany) is en route."'_

_'"SSS (Canada) is deploying troops."'_

_'"We are SSS (Spain), following orders."'_

_'"This is SSS (France), in transit."'_

_'"SSS (Russia) is engaging hostiles."'_

_'"SSS (Greece) reporting in."'_

_'"SSS (Italy) is following your lead."'_

_'"SSS (India) got your back."'_

_'"SSS (China) is taking point."'_

More and more transmission were coming in as reinforcements came in by the hundreds.

"Those are... Black Hawks?"

Yamato muttered in disbelief as the helicopters flew over head. Apache Gunships flew in, forcing the Angels and Shadows to retreat while the Black hawks hovered over head to allow their troops repel down ropes. But these were not troops. They were young men and women, wearing a modified SSS uniform that sported more military grade armour and equipments. Just like the SSS, they radiated a certain feeling that was indescribable to the SSS2. One helicopter flew low, kicking up the dust as it landed close to where they were. Jumping out of the helicopter a young man and woman walked up to Nakamura Yuri.

"Yurippe, you know you shouldn't jump out all of a sudden out of the helicopter."

The young man said with a disapproving look.

"Ah, Yuzuru. Good for you and Kanade to join us. Jumping out of the helicopter was all part of a grand plan."

"Which failed for some."

The young petite girl with long flowing white hair said, pointing the one of the SSS who landed on his head.

"Well, that's just Noda for you. Are the preparations complete?"

Yuri asked the newcomer who merely smiled back.

"You bet."

* * *

As more helicopters flew in, dropping SSS fighters in the hundreds, the battle started to push in the favour of the SSS2.

"Landing zone is hot. Green light. Deploying troops."

The pilot said as he neared the ground enough to let the troops jump off.

"This is SSS (USA)'s Alpha team, we're moving up the western point."

The teams alighted their transports and immediately engaged the Shadows that charged towards them.

"Go go go!"

"We've got a giant Shadow heading our way!"

"Clear the landing zone! All helicopters are to clear out now!"

The team scattered just as a Gigas stomped its massive foot down on where they were less than a minute ago, however the helicopters were not so lucky as the Gigas swiped its hand at one of the black hawks as it tried to leave, cleaving off its tail rotor

"Shit! Controls gone! We're going down!"

The black hawk spun out of control and crashed into the ground in a fiery explosion.

"We have a black hawk down, repeat black hawk is down!"

"We must go rescue them-"

"It's pointless! If the crash didn't get to them the Shadows will!"

Alpha's leader shouted at his men, who silently stared back. They knew what their leader said was true.

"What we need to do know is complete our objectives. Clear out the landing areas for our reinforcements to come and that-"

Alpha leader pointed at the giant Gigas howling at the other Black Hawks further away.

"-Is blocking our path."

"But we can't take it down on our own! We lack the fire power to even make a scratch!"

"That is where our fly boys will come in. But we must keep it distracted. Ura?"

Alpha leader asked, and the rest of his team nodded.

"Ura."

"Good. Now break!"

The team scattered, finding cover as they got into position.

"This is SSS (USA) Alpha leader to Apache attack team, do you read?"

_'"This is SSS (USA) Eagle team, we read you SSS (USA) Alpha leader."'_

"We've got a giant Shadow at the drop site and we need it cleared for the heavies to drop in. Got visual?"

_'"Just mark the target Alpha leader and leave the rest to us."'_

That was all the confirmation he needed. He nodded to his second before coming out of his cover.

"Eat lead!"

He shouted as he fired off his rifle at the smaller Shadows that accompanied the giant while his second took out a large aiming projector like device and primed it at the Giant. Alpha team continued to suppress the Shadows in the area while the Apache gunships closed in.

_'"This is Eagle leader, Alpha, we've got visual and are commencing attack run."'_

"Glad to hear it."

_'"This is Eagle one, weapons hot, let's light them up."'_

The Apache flight team flew in, guns blazing as their heavy weapons riddled the ground with holes, tearing through the Shadows on the ground as well as peppering the Giant with bullets and missiles.

_'"This one is tough. Damn what did the Japanese do to their Afterlife to make such a monster?"'_

It was true that while the five Apaches concentrated all of their fire power at the Gigas, it did not seem to do much other than to make the Gigas howl out and be irritated.

_'"You boys look like you need a hand."'_

A new voice came in on the comms network as more gunships came flying in.

_'"This is SSS (England), Knights team. We're here to back you yanks up."'_

"England's team? But what about your side?"

Alpha leader asked through the radio.

_'"Our lads have secured their landing zone and are proceeding on with objective."'_

Just as the English pilot said that, additional gunshots were heard as the English SSS team charged in, backing up Alpha. The English team's leader ran over to Alpha leader and smiled.

"Heard you chaps needed some additional fire power."

"Damn right if I was ever so glad to see a tea drinking Brit in my life, or after life."

Alpha leader smiled, shaking the English leader's hand. Like the rest of the American team, the English team wore the SSS uniform with military modifications. Strapped on to their arm was the British Union Jack.

"It seems that most teams got hit by heavy enemy fire. Only the Indians, Germans and us got away with rather light opposition."

The English leader explained, his thick Queen's English being quite obvious.

"The Chinese can handle their own, they have too many people to spare anyway. The Germans are currently heading to aid the French though I cannot help but see irony in that situation, and the Indians are going to head towards the Italians."

"Is it that bad?"

Alpha leader asked, to which the English leader merely smiled.

"Don't worry too much, we've all been through this before though the Japanese Afterlife seems to make ours look like a picnic. Currently these 'Gigas', as our Japanese comrades call them, are the biggest threat... for now."

"For now?"

The English leader pointed to the ominous black tower that loomed in the distance.

"Apparently that tower fires a beam periodically that would cut through anything and anyone like a hot knife through butter. Already it has taken down five of our transports as they tried to go near it. At the moment we can only guess that it has a minimum of two kilometre kill zone."

"Kill zone?"

Alpha leader quizzed. The English leader looked over his shoulder and signalled to another one of his team members.

"Boyle! Get over here!"

The English shouted and a second English SSS member ran over, ducking constantly as he ran.

"You called cap'n?"

The second British asked.

"Show the yank our map."

"Right-o cap'n."

The English team took out a large map with circles and circles drawn all over it.

"The total range of the tower can stretch very far. Until we regroup our forces, we'll have to stay clear of it keep an eye for its attack."

"..."

"But let us focus at the problem at hand, shall we?"

The English leader smiled, patting Alpha leader on the back.

"Our Japanese friends tell us that the weakness of these giants are on the back of their necks. So far the Japanese afterlife army has been using these unusual belts to climb up."

The English leader said as he produced one such belt. Alpha leader stared at it with a suspicious look.

"Don't worry, we won't be using these, but they will."

The English leader pointed out where several SSS2 fighters were rushing at the Gigas. Without missing a beat, they fired the anchors from the belts and flew up the Gigas.

"We only need to keep that giant looking our way while we let them finish him off."

Alpha leader was still unsure about it. They were suppose to come in to rescue these SSS2 people, but it seems that they had been fighting against these crazy monster for far longer than anyone can imagine. These weren't just young boys and girls who were angry at their lives, these were battle-hardened souls of soldiers, of warriors. Though Alpha leader did have his fair share of fighting during his own time in his Afterlife, nothing could compare to this. Still, he came here to help and that is what he plans to do. He tapped his ear piece.

"Listen up Alpha, you heard the Brit. Let's given those SSS2 some covering fire!"

* * *

**_Mobile Forward Command Post, Avalon_**

"Well, this is a fine mess we've gotten into."

Sakurai Yuri, now calling herself Nakamura Yuri, muttered as she looked down at the digital map that displayed the entire field. Shortly after regrouping with Yuzuru and Kanade, Yuri was unwillingly forced out of the front lines and into the command post of the SSS2. Gathered in the war room of the command post were the leaders of each and every SSS unit that came. It was quite a sight to see the different countries that came together for this battle. At the corner were the SSS2 leaders, Fujibayashi Kyou, tending to the wounds of Kusanagi Yamato. The SSS2 still found it hard to believe that their predecessors, and also the different men and women from other countries, could enter this Afterlife. Not only that, they were here as reinforcements? To be honest, Yamato had to stab herself several times to make sure she wasn't dreaming. Pinching wasn't going to do it anymore.

"We did not expect such heavy resistance."

The leader of the SSS (Germany) said. Apparently everyone can understand each other as a certain feature of whatever technology they used to enter this Afterlife attuned their thoughts and languages into something they could all understand. In other words, something happened and they all appear to talk in the same language. To the Japanese team, the others speak Japanese, to the others, they speak in whatever language they are used to.

"Your Afterlife is sure crazy, mister Yuzuru."

The SSS (France) added with a laugh.

"Well, I did not expect it to be this bad either. But either way we need to confirm the situation."

The one called Yuzuru replied. Apparently he was the brains behind this entire strike force and everyone seemed to look towards him for answers. All except for the sulking Yuri. Somehow Kyou could not help but see Yuki in this Yuri person. They were very similar. Too similar. Their facial features were not too far apart and Kyou almost mistook her for Yuki. But Yuki was now different. Yuki had changed over the past few days into something darker, something more sinister. This Yuri was a very bright and cheerful person, if you discounted her current sulking behaviour.

"The Shadow class of Gigas can be taken down but only the SSS2 have experience in fighting them so the most we can do is to provide back-up and distract those monsters while the SSS2 teams go in for the kill."

"Ah, but from what I hear, the SSS2 themselves have only a limited number of people capable of bringing down such a beast, am I right, miss Fujibayashi?"

The SSS (China) leader asked. Kyou spaced out for a moment before nodding.

"Y-yes, only our Guard 1, Edge squad and Wolf squad are able to fight them."

"So that much is covered. Next are those NPCs... those... Angels, as you call them. Personally, we have never fought something of that level before."

The SSS (USA) leader muttered, rubbing his chin in thought.

"We didn't mess up our Worlds as much as you guys did. But what's done is done. We can take down those flying ones with our gunships, but their speed may be troublesome."

"And that tower is problematic as well."

SSS (India) added. The war room fell silent at that. Within the first five minutes of the SSS appearing, the tower fired once, cutting through a whole group of transport helicopters.

"If we can disable that tower somehow, we can land our Opsray planes and Chinook helicopters for heavier reinforcements. But until then, we're stuck."

The War room fell silent once more, until Yamato suddenly spoke up.

"We... will do that."

"Yamato?"

"I'm fine Kyou."

Yamato said, pushing herself up and staggering over to the war map. Resting on her hands, she traced her finger down the river line of the map till it hit a single blinking dot.

"That... just leave it to us."

* * *

_**Battleship Yamato**_

"We're almost to the bridge!"

Yamamoto Takanari shouted as he pushed a Shadow off and grabbed a knife from his boot, stabbing it into the chest of the Shadow.

"Just hang on!"

He pulled the knife out and did not bother to wait till the Shadow completely disappeared before running straight at the next Shadow, tackling it against and over the railing of the ship.

"Captain! Shadows have gotten into the bridge of the ship!"

One of the fire team members shouted, pointing up towards the bridge of the ship. Yamamoto looked up and saw the flashes of gun fire. Was it too late?

"Dammit! Takahiko! Matsura! With me! We're going back up!"

"Y-yes captain!"

Takanari rushed back into the ship with two others, braving the fire and unstable structure of the ship. The battleship had suffered heavy damage but it still sailed at full speed towards its destination. With fire breaking out on every deck, the fighting had grown fiercer as the Shadows had managed to get into the ship. They were stretched thin as it was, trying to ensure the ship stayed afloat but now they were forced to fight the Shadows while hoping the Ship could keep itself afloat long enough to reach their destination. Takanari reached the bridge of the ship, witnessing a massacre. Shadows were tearing into the nearly defenceless SSS2 fighters left and those who fought back only had small fire-arms with them.

"Dammit!"

Takanari charged into the Bridge and tackled the first Shadow to the ground, taking his knife and throwing it at another, felling it after it after the knife stabbed into its head. Bringing his rifle around, he fired more rounds at other Shadows on the Bridge. It was a harsh fight, but Takanari managed to take control of the Bridge.

"Takahiko! Take care of the wounded! Matsura! Guard that door!"

He ordered as he ran over to the main controls of the ship. He looked down at the metres and saw that in the scuffle, the ship had lost a significant amount of speed. He looked up and saw the school's bridge was already in view. His mind immediately told him that they would not be able to destroy the bridge as originally intended.

"Dammit!"

He banged his fist against the console in frustration. This was not how it was suppose to be! The flashing lights on the consoles told him that the ship would not hold much longer. Nearly all of the decks were going into critical. With less than fifty of his men left on-board the entire ship, there was no way he would get out of this alive.

"... So what?"

He muttered with a smile. He readjusted the systems on the console, re-routing power from all unnecessary areas of the ship towards the engines.

"If I cannot take it down, then I'll just have to ram it as hard as I can!"

He pushed the lever of the engines forward, forcing every single ounce of power left in the ship to propel itself forward. The bridge was in sight. On it were dozens of Shadows, all waiting for the battleship to approach them. Unfortunately they were suppose to be waiting for a slower vessel. The Yamato was not what they were expecting.

"GOOO!"

Takanari shouted as the giant flaming Battleship charged straight at the bridge.

"All hands! Brace for impact!"

**BOOM**

With with giant weight and momentum, the giant battleship rammed straight into the bridge, destroying the bridge along with several Shadows in the way. But as the speed was not what he wanted, the battleship could not go through the entire bridge. Pushing forward as much as it could, the battleship finally screeched a halt mid way through the bridge.

"All cannons to port side! twenty degrees!"

The giant guns of the battleship turned slowly, taking their aim at the looming tower in the distance. This was what their entire fight came to. The last barrage of the Battleship Yamato.

"FIRE!"

**BOOM**

**BOOM**

**BOOM**

The turrets fired all of its remaining guns at the tower. At first all was silent, then-

**BOOM**

In the distance, Takanari could see the tower being lighted up as the rounds impacted the tower, causing the laser fire to die down, but not before firing one wild shot into the sky.

_'"The tower is down!"'_

_'"All units advance!"'_

The radio communications confirmed it. The tower was disabled. Yamamoto Takanari smiled, slumping back into the chair behind him.

"... Our work... is done..."

He smirked, looking down at his hands that trembled slightly. Such an intense build up to that final moment.

"This is too much excitement for two lifetimes. After this afterlife, I'm taking a very long vacation."

He muttered, running his hand through his hair and shaking off the dirt and sweat. While he wanted a breather, he knew that it wasn't over. He stood up and walked over to the announcement console, activating the announcement systems throughout the ship.

"... Alright, all hands, abandon ship! We're going out on foot to join up with the rest of the SSS2! Take all weapons and ammunitions and haul ass! We don't want to miss out on the fireworks, do we?"

* * *

"The tower is disabled, all SSS units, attack!"

"Bring in the heavies."

The helicopters of the SSS units flew in in full force, with thousands of AH-6 Little bird helicopters ferrying SSS fighters directly into the fire fight. Following in together with the smaller helicopters were the Apache Longbow attack helicopters, rushing in and engaging the Shadows and Angels without fear from the tower's attack. Additional Black Hawk carrier helicopters flew in, dropping in more SSS fighters in the war zone, allowing the SSS to constantly push the enemy back. With their new allies, the SSS2 found renewed vigour and pressed the attack with their tanks.

"Ospreys, coming in hot!"

From the sky came large planes. V-22 Ospreys. These planes flew in directly into the fire, twisting their propellers vertical to allow them to hover as more SSS troops jumped out from the back, descending down on the enemies. Additional vehicles were dropped out of the transport planes, adding additional fire power to the fight. Though the tower may be disabled, the Shadows and Angels were still a force to be reckoned with.

"We'll be focusing on clearing out a path for you."

The SSS (USA) leader said as he got into an armoured Jeep that was dropped off by the reinforcements that came by the Ospreys. Additional Jeeps were being dropped off not too far from the mobile command post. With their reinforcements being able to come in at a steady rate, the SSS could now focus at the main problem at hand.

"I've instructed the convoy to bring you guys straight into the tower. We will finish off the enemy on the outside and ensure that no one goes in after you. However you need to hurry. There's no telling if and when that tower will regenerate."

The SSS (USA) leader said before nodding to the driver. The Jeep drove off, leaving Yuri and the rest of the SSS (Japan) behind. Yuri then turned to the others, planting her hands on the make-shift table set up outside the command post.

"Alright, so let's prepare our plan. We have no idea what is the layout within the tower or what to expect."

Yuri said, turning to Yuzuru and Kanade.

"The two of you will head to the basement level of the tower and disable the first console. This is a copy of the shut-down program."

Yuri said, throwing Yuzuru a small disk.

"Shut-down program? Yurippe, what are you talking about?"

Hinata asked his eccentric leader who merely smirked.

"You'll know in time. For now, we'll leave the basement levels and the first console to those two. The rest of us will head up the tower."

"Sending only the two of them down? Are you sure that's alright?"

Ooyama asked. Yuri nodded and turned to Kanade.

"Kanade-chan can fight off most of the enemy. She's had more experience with the program than any of us. Besides, climbing the tower is the more important part."

Yuri said, turning back to the rest.

"Is it?"

"Well, in most games, anime and movies, whenever there is a tower, the last boss is sure to be at the top, right?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

No one wanted to say anything against that. While there were a lot of points they could argue back on, somehow they all knew that it was pointless. Yuri had a point, though no one wanted to admit it. It was like one of those stupid things that happens in reality yet too stupid for anyone to believe it actually exists. Like how you would believe your teacher could never be dumb enough to forget that he placed the answers on the chalk board before he started the exam but he actually did. Or that annoying friend who is always so diligent in reminding you to do your homework when the next day he forgets to come to school.

.

.

.

.

"... Right, so onto the next agenda-"

"Oi!"

Yuri narrowed her eyes at Hinata who actually retorted back at her.

"Do you have something to say?"

Hinata was taken aback, looking to the others for some moral support though got none. He finally sighed, hanging his head low.

"N-no..."

"Good! So onto the next agenda-"

"Wait!"

Yuri was really starting to get ticked off by constant interruptions, turning around and glared at whoever dared to interrupt her. Which was Kusanagi Yamato.

"We'll go with you."

Yamato said firmly. Yuri narrowed her eyes at the commander of the SSS2 fighters. She was clearly beaten up, wounded and not very stable. Just what had this war done to these poor kids?

"No."

Yuri replied.

"But this is our fight!"

"This is no longer your fight!"

Yuri snapped back, banging her fist on the table, silencing all around it.

"... This... this is something that we-... that I, as the founder and leader of the SSS... must finish."

While Yuri did say she would let Otonashi's creation complete the job, she would not never let him finish it with his own hands. Yuri was resolved to close her past. Even if it was by herself. Looking at the state of things in this war, she felt pained, devastated. This was all caused by her inadequacy to finish what she started. To ensure that all loose ends were tied up. These SSS2 kids had fought long and hard, almost to the point where she wondered if they could even pass on properly. This war... had changed them all. No longer were they young vengeful kids who suffered at despair of their lives. No longer were they young adults who swore to right the wrongs of their past. No longer... were they human. She could see it in their eyes. Twisted forms of hatred, of pain, of despair. The insanity that grew within them. Though she knew that Otonashi's pet had managed to clear away some of that insane despair, it was impossible to get rid of it completely. These SSS2... they had to pass on as soon as possible. Otherwise Yuri fears that they may never be able to pass on at all.

"But our leaders are still in there!"

Yamato shouted back, able to find some ground of confidence to talk back to Yuri.

"..."

Yuri saw something in this Yamato girl. Something that reminded her of herself. What was it? Ah yes... stubbornness.

"Yurippe, just let them come along."

Yuzuru said, making Yuri rethink about it. Unbeknownst to most, Yuri actually listens to what Yuzuru and Kanade says, mainly because they are her two most trusted friends. Hinata can be trusted but his ideas were mostly weird and completely infeasible. And... Yuri still harbours certain feelings for Yuzuru. Though she may convince herself that Kanade was Yuzuru girlfriend (most likely for life), she could not get rid of that feeling out of her chest. So if Yuzuru said something, she would... reconsider.

"... Fine. Come along. But we will not be responsible for anything that happens inside. Do not get in our way either or I will personally shoot you myself."

Yuri warned though her warning did not seem to carry that much weight as compared to her approval for the SSS2 to come along as Yamato smiled and nodded back.

"I'll get my own team ready then."

Yuri did not know if this was the best solution but perhaps it was meant to be. If she denied them this chance, it could back-fire on her. It was all a gamble. A gamble of lives, of souls. Yuri was right now hoping she was betting on the right side. She turned to the rest.

"Alright, here is plan again. We charge in and battle our way up the tower. Kanade and Yuzuru will handle the basement levels. We do not stop, do not pause, do not hesitate. This is the last battle of our struggles, of our lives. As the SSS, we will finish what we started. Operation: Angel Beats. Start!"

* * *

A/N: For now, the main feel of battles is that the SSS units have the air advantage with three main helicopters.

- MH-6 Little Bird

- Sikoorsky UH-60 Black Hawk

- AH-64 Longbow Apache

There is also the chinook but I decided not to write them much.

The SSS also brings along armoured Jeeps and Opsray planes. These are mainly USA military vehicles but I have no real reason for choosing them either than their efficiency for the story.

The SSS2 brings along their superior numbers and their battle tanks, mainly the Type 74 and Type 90 battle tanks. The SSS2 are considered better soldiers and fighters than the SSS due to experience and training, but the SSS are able to take more hits, as stated in the story.

This will probably be the last chapter of full-on military stuff. The rest will not be focused on the military aspect so I took my time to explain them here. Well, see you guys soon!


	46. Chapter 46

A/N: Ahh! So sorry for the delay! I took too long for my holiday. Went Japan, then to Hong Kong then to Europe (specifically Hungary, Austria, Germany and Czech Republic via the river Danube). It was an awesome holiday and then came back just in time for... NEW YEARS!

So we all survived the 'dooms-day' event and then got drunk on xmas before landing up drunk again for news years day, and now onto the next part of this story! As I said before, the military aspect will be toned down, maybe give or take another short cameos here and there, but no real focus on it.

I have updated my blog with two more drawings! One of which is a remake of Kou though I'm redrawing another one. The other is Kusanagi Yamato, though after drawing her, I found out I made her too... sexual. And compared to Kou, she really looks much better. As I can't have the secondary main heroine looking better than the main one, I'm redrawing Kou. As usual, my blog is this:

flamingnoodletoiletbowls (the website is "wordpress dot com" and fanfic dot net is really weird about posting websites in stories)

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 46_

_Angel's Heart Beat_

"This is SSS (Main), the convoy is moving out. All active units in the area, provide support for the convoy."

_'"This is SSS (Canada), we read you SSS (Main). Sending all available forces to your area."'_

_'"This is SSS (China), we'll try to clear the way but we don't know how long we'll last!"'_

_'"SSS (Germany) is re-routing forces to your area."'_

_'"This is SSS (Italy)! We need assistance! There's two of those giant Shadows and a whole bunch of Angel class enemy forces heading our way!"'_

_'"SSS (Libya) is heading to assist SSS (Italy). Just get the main force to the tower in one piece."'_

"We hear you. Don't worry, we'll get them there."

He replied through the comms network. Looking back he saw the Japanese SSS fighters get into the Jeep convoy. His leader, the SSS (USA) leader, had trusted him and his crew to get these people to the tower and he will fulfil his job. As the lead vehicle in the convoy, the leaders of the SSS (Main) got into his Jeep Fearless young men and women. He had to give it to them. The Japanese really knew how to fight. The code name for this group was SSS (Main) as they were the ones to charge straight into the tower. That is why he thought of them as fearless... or stupid.

"Okay, driver, let's go."

The one they call Yuri said, closing the door to the Jeep after she got in. Apparently she is the leader of the entire group.

"You got it ma'am. This is convoy leader, Victory 1-1. All Victories, move out."

He stepped on the gas, letting the Jeep jerk to a start as they moved their way from the safety of the command line into the war zone. Tanks rolled past them at extremely fast speeds, firing their heavy guns at the Shadows that stood before the convoy. Those Tanks belong to the SSS2 of this World. Who knew they could create such sophisticated weapons? The equipment that all of the SSS received were mainly from 'that' white World. Like some sort of staging area, all of the equipment, guns, armour, vehicles were given to them. But tanks were not amongst them.

_'"This is Sword battalion, moving up to cover the convoy."'_

_'"This is Halberd battalion, we'll protect the commander even if it should cost us our lives!"'_

_'"Wolves, forward! Show our predecessors that we are worthy of the SSS name!"'_

It was a mad rush of metal and flesh as the infantry line rushed out hollering out their war cries as they engaged the enemy in close quarters combat.

_'"In-coming Angels!"'_

A sudden report came in. The convoy swerved as a group of Angels flew in, firing their weapons down upon the armoured vehicles. The SSS units tried to retaliate from the ground but the Angels easily dodged most of their attacks.

_'"We'll deal with them. Eagle team, light them up."'_

_'"This is Knights squadron. We'll get rid of those bloody buggers."'_

_'"Mavericks, close in on the enemy. Don't let them escape."'_

Whole swarms of attack helicopters flew in, engaging the Angels and forcing them to retreat, allowing the convoy to press on.

"Those damn Shadows and Angels are getting more persistent."

He muttered, swerving to avoid a burning debris of a tank torn apart by Angel fire.

"They must know of our objective."

His passenger said, leaning forward to take a look ahead.

"... Think you can still manage to get to the tower?"

She asked, making him smile.

"Think it? I can. Buckle up, its time for this joy ride to go critical."

He stepped on the accelerator, pushing the Jeep forward through the rugged terrain. The convoy rushed through the battlefield, avoiding explosions, enemy fire and any confrontation. Most of the enemy forces were being forced to take on the convoy's over-protective SSS troops that were following the convoy. Each time a new batch of enemies appeared, either the SSS2 tanks or infantry were swarm in almost immediately to draw their attention away from the convoy. The SSS air support flew over head, firing their weapons down on enemies below, lighting up the ground with explosions and riddling the enemy with holes. Without pause or without taking any detours, the convoy pressed on, forcing their way through the worst the enemy could throw at them.

"ETA 5 minutes!"

He shouted to his passengers over the loud din of the explosions that erupted all around them. As the convoy started to get closer, the sheer size and magnitude of what they were up against came into clear view. The tower was immensely large, its peak hidden in the dark clouds that hung above. Dark twisted spikes protruded from every angle, even the base. In fact, the entire base was covered with those dark spikes. It was impossible to get into the tower at this rate, never mind the hundreds of enemies that were waiting for the convoy at the base of the tower as well. He had no choice.

"This is Victory 1-1. Path to tower is blocked. Requesting alternative route-"

"No. We will take this path. If there isn't an entrance, we'll just make one."

The one called Yuri said firmly. Does she even know what she was talking about?

"I know what I'm talking about so don't question me."

She added. Was she really a mind reader? He narrowed his eyes at her through the rear view mirror. Should he listen to her? While technically she wasn't his leader, his orders were to bring her to the tower and follow her word.

_'"Do it Victory 1-1."'_

The voice of his leader came over the radio.

_'"There are no alternate routes to the tower. We'll be directing all additional hands to pave your road for you. Just keep going."'_

"... Understood command."

He didn't like it, but orders were orders.

"Victory 1-1 to all Victories. Operation: Angel Beats is still green. Press forward!"

The convoy rushed forward, straight for the hundreds of Shadows and Angels that stood between them and the tower. Tanks charged forward, firing their cannons at the enemy, attempting to pave a path for the convoy to get through. A round fired directly at the enemy exploded, sending the Shadows flying and opening up a path for the convoy. Gun ships flew straight in, guns blazing to widen the path.

_'"Eagle 1 to all gunships, lets pave the road."'_

_'"Knight team, roger."'_

_'"Mavericks, moving in."'_

_'"Weapons hot, let's light them up."'_

_'"Target locked. Missiles away."'_

_'"Knock Knock."'_

The gun ships fired their heavy payload at the enemy as well as the spikes that blocked the convoy. The rounds exploded upon impact, causing massive amounts of destruction. The damage from the missiles not only killed off Shadows and Angels, it also broke a hole through the spikes and into the tower.

_'"Eagle 1 to Victory team, you have your entrance. Move it before it closes up!"'_

"Roger Eagle 1. Thanks for the assist. Victory 1-1 to all Victories, let's move!"

The convoy rushed forward, cutting through the path created for them by the combined efforts of the SSS2 and SSS forces. Without stopping or slowing down, the convoy rode through the devastation towards their destination.

"Shadow!"

"I know!"

He swerved to avoid a flying body of a Shadow.

"Boulder!"

"I can see that!"

"The hole is sealing up!"

"I HAVE TWO FUNCTIONING EYEBALLS SO I CAN BLOODY HELL SEE FOR MYSELF! Hang on!"

He lifted up a cover from the gear stick, revealing a red button.

"If you haven't strapped in by now, you better be now!"

He shouted as he pressed the button, igniting the nitrous into the engine.

"Ramp!"

"ARE YOU DRIVING THIS PIECE OF JUNK OR AM I? ! HOLD ON TIGHT, THIS IS GOING TO GET LOUD!"

The Jeep hit the ramp hard, sending the vehicle high into the air. The Jeep flew straight into the hole at the base of the tower, hitting the ground hard. He swerved the Jeep and jammed the brakes, forcing the vehicle to stop. The rest of the convoy followed suit, flying through the hole and landing inside the tower right before the hole of the tower sealed itself up, trapping them all inside. He turned around and smiled to his passengers.

"Well, we're here. Hope you've enjoyed the ride and don't forget any personal belongings you may have brought on-board."

* * *

The sounds of the battle outside were all cut off, leaving the team in complete silence. The interior of the tower was a mess. Desks, chairs, doors, windows were all scattered about, trapped in mounds of the same dark mass that made the tower. Like the aftermath of a terrible disaster, the debris that lay about in disarray, no seemingly organized manner. Yuri stepped out of the damaged vehicle, looking up. The ceiling was extremely high, almost barely visible. The tower's interior was extremely vast, so large that one would not think that it was the same as the outside. But there was a reason.

"The amount of black essence has distorted the space and time in here."

The one called Fujibayashi Kyou said, jumping out of her vehicle. Yuri looked at her for the moment, then looked back up to the ceiling.

"... Either that, or our perception of things has been distorted."

She replied, before turning to the rest.

"All of you get your weapons and get ready to move out."

She said as she walked over to the lead vehicle's back and opened the trunk, taking out a rifle for herself and checking its ammunition.

"You guys better take care of yourselves up there."

The driver of the Jeep said, leaning back in the driver's seat.

"You're not coming with us?"

She asked, slinging the rifle over her shoulder. The driver shook his head.

"Our mission is to bring you here. The rest and I are not fighters and will only slow you guys down. Besides, we need to make sure there is an exit in case anything goes wrong."

Yuri wanted to argue with that logic but decided not to. These were not her SSS followers. These were people who came to help. She should not ask too much from them.

"... Alright, thanks for bringing us here."

She said. The driver tapped his cap with a smile.

"It's been my pleasure."

Yuri took her rifle and walked down the path. Followed by the rest, she led the way through the twisted barren wastelands of the tower. Twisted amalgamations of things that were once the school covered the land, like some nightmarish scene of an eccentric director's horror film. It wasn't long before some one noticed something odd.

"You know, for being inside the tower, there isn't a whole lot of enemies around."

Fujimaki commented. It was true that while they walked for a whole five minutes, there wasn't a single enemy around to ambush them.

"Maybe they all went out to fight?"

Matsushita 5-dan offered his opinion. Yuri thought as much but... something was still not right.

"Look! Over there!"

Ooyama pointed ahead of the group where a body lay. The group rushed over and Yuri knelt down next to the body. Dressed in the clothes of the NPCs, the body had one stab wound on its back. She flipped the body and saw that it was an Angel. Their enemy was... killed? Before they arrived?

"Yurippe, look."

She looked up and saw that this was not the only one. Ahead of them lay a whole path littered with bodies. These were all Angels, killed in a bloody massacre by someone... or something.

"It's the same."

Kusanagi Yamato muttered after seeing the wounds on the body.

"The same?"

Kyou asked.

"... When I went down to Guild, there were whole tunnels filled with the bodies of Angels. I thought it was Guild that fought and killed them, but the wounds were too... odd for any SSS2 type weapons I know of."

Yamato explained, touching the wounds of a fallen Angel.

"These are wounds made from an NPC weapon. Though I thought it was impossible, but it seems there are some in-fighting within the enemy ranks."

"In-fighting? But how? Some sort of bug?"

Kyou asked but Yamato shook her head.

"No... It can't be."

Somehow the wounds felt... familiar. A form of lingering presence that was frighteningly familiar to her. She wanted to deny it. Wanted to think it wasn't true.

"... I hear fighting up ahead."

The silent SSS girl called Shiina said, breaking the thoughts of the group.

"We won't get anywhere closer to the truth just by coming up with conjectures and assumptions. Let's go."

Yuri said, leading the group in the direction of the sounds. Yamato was somewhat reluctant, but followed anyway. As the group rushed up the twisted path, Yamato noticed that there was a steady increase in the number of bodies of fallen Angels. While most of them had similar wounds to the first, others showed signs of struggles and different types of wounds. They were fighting amongst themselves. Soon, the sounds of clashing steels and gun fire could be heard in the distance. The group hurried on and the sounds getting louder and louder until they finally reached the source. Or what seemed to be the end of it. Standing there, surrounded by the bodies of fallen Angels, was the one person Kusanagi Yamato wanted to see the most. With his hair in its usual unkempt style, he swung what seemed to be a katana down, shaking all of the blood off from its edge, before sheathing the blade.

"Ka... Katsuragi?"

Yamato asked. The young man turned and saw the group, raising his eyes brows in surprise.

"Yamato? Fujibayashi-senpai? What are all of you doing in here?"

"I-I could ask you the same thing-"

Before Yamato could finish her sentence, Kyou brought out her book and pointed it at Katsuragi. For those who are uninformed, any book in Kyou's hand is a weapon. Tomoyo also stepped in front, raising her fist in a defensive stance against Katsuragi.

"K-Kyou? Tomoyo? What are you doing?"

Yamato asked, slightly confused and afraid of what was going on.

"Katsuragi isn't who you think he is."

Kyou said, narrowing her eyes at the young man who stood before them. He showed no hint of changing his emotions even when faced with people who drew their weapons at him.

"W-what do you mean? He's Katsuragi-"

"Don't you get it? ! He's an NPC!"

Kyou shouted, rendering Yamato stunned. An NPC? Katsuragi? Her mind did not know what to think. She looked to him, and saw that he did not seemed bothered by Kyou's accusation. In fact, he simply smiled. An NPC? But... how?

"As expected from the head of the Assault division. Yes, indeed, I am what you call an NPC."

Katsuragi replied, making Yamato even more shocked. So it was true.

"B-but... how? When were you converted?"

Yamato tried to find some hope, some form of consolidation. She didn't want this to be true.

"... I was never converted. I always was, and still am... an NPC."

Katsuragi muttered, looking down at his hands. Then he looked up to the group.

"An... Angel."

Angel. The enemy of the SSS2. The ones that were made by this nightmare and formed the vanguard of its creator. The enemy that the Guardians swore to kill at any cost. The enemy... that Yamato must defeat. But this is Katsuragi. Could she really kill him? Could she raise her weapon against him? Her heart felt like it was being gripped by an iron vice, being squeezed tightly. It pained her to breath, to think. It was like her World was collapsing all around her, crumbling into pieces. What was she to do? This wasn't just any NPC, this was... Katsuragi.

"Yamato! Yamato! Get a grip! He's the enemy!"

Kyou shouted, taking her eyes off Katsuragi for the moment to see Yamato standing there, her mind completely lost.

"It's pointless, Kyou, she can't fight him. Not in this state."

Tomoyo said, keeping her fists ready for whatever may come.

"Tch, you planned this, didn't you? All of this? Infiltrating our ranks and attack us from within."

Kyou spat at him but he did not say anything. He simply stood there, watching the two powerful fighters from the SSS2 Assault division slowly try to get into position to land the first strike. It was quite something to see how he would fare against two of the greatest from the Assault division, but he had no time to waste here and now. He needed to escape from here, but how-

"If you have time to look else where, then you better be prepared!"

Tomoyo suddenly dashed forward, swinging her arm towards him. Her fist was too fast for him to dodge but it wasn't fast enough for it to escape his notice.

"Wha-"

Tomoyo stared in amazement as her attack was blocked by a single blade with a blue lining across the edge. Katsuragi drew his weapon just in time.

"That weapon is- Tomoyo! Get away!"

Kyou shouted, prompting the other Assault division fighter to jump back. Kyou's book flew open in her hand and the pages flew out, wrapping themselves into the shape of multiple blades before flying straight for Katsuragi. Katsuragi remained calm even in the face of such danger, opening up the pommel of the hilt like a flip cover, revealing an empty slot in the hilt of the sword. He took a pistol magazine and slotted it into the hilt before closing the cover. He looked up just as the blades were going to hit him. Even for an NPC, the speed required to deflect these blades at this distance was near impossible. But most NPCs do not have a weapon like Katsuragi's. He finger squeezed the trigger once-

**CLANG**

**CLANG **

**CLANG**

His movements were fast, too fast that it seemed to happen in less than a split second. The first thing they saw was Kyou's paper swords flying towards Katsuragi, and the next second showed the same blades laying scatter all over the floor. Kyou knew it at this point.

"... There is no mistaking it... That is Musashi's weapon."

Kyou muttered, narrowing her eyes at the blade held by Katsuragi.

"M-Musashi's Blade? But Musashi's weapons can never be used by an NPC!"

Tomoyo said. Musashi was not only known for making extremely powerful personalised weapons, but it was also known that no matter how, weapons made by the master craftsman could never be used by an NPC, even if that NPC was the weapon's owner who was converted.

"... Musashi would never make a weapon for an NPC... but..."

Kyou trailed off. She remembered the last time she saw the blacksmith. He was working extremely hard on a single weapon, muttering something about 'perfect order' whilst hammering away at the hot metal on his anvil. So determined and concentrated on that work that he never responded to anything else. Not even Yuuko could break his concentration at that time. There was only one time Musashi ever created something with so much focus. And that was Kou's weapon. What was Musashi thinking? Creating a weapon for an NPC?

"... What is that weapon? Answer me!"

Kyou demanded. Katsuragi felt slightly inclined to answer that question, mainly because he was born as an NPC? Or was it because he wanted to be accepted... unlikely the latter. As for Kyou, she felt unnerved by what that weapon actually was. An NPC of this World was, in essence, a perfect human being. A being whose creation was meant to act like a role model for what humans were striving to be. Someone who did not stand out, who did not deviate from the rules of human society. The rules that were created in order to ensure a perfectly ordered World for humans.

Although the rules were something that did not suit everyone, and it benefited only to those who wish to abide by them, they were the rules of what humans wish to have and live by, creating their own societies around such laws. And if an NPC represented that repressed form of perfection... then a weapon that was created solely for such a being would be... Kyou shook her head. It was pointless to think about it now. If she thought too much about it, then her focus would only falter. She cannot waver, not against an Angel. Her hand gripped onto her book tightly.

"I would not suggest you try that, senpai."

A mischievous voice called out, making all turn away from Katsuragi. Stepping out from behind a twisted door, the owner of the voice smiled.

"You are-"

"Tenryuu Shuusuke!"

Iris shouted, pushing her way towards the front.

"Oh-ya? If it isn't the precious second-in-command of our dear Intelligence leader, Iris-chan? What an interesting turn of events to see you here."

The young man smirked. Iris narrowed her eyes dangerously at the young man, pulling out hidden knives from her sleeves.

"You... TRAITOR!"

She snapped, throwing the knives at him. The young man did not even blink as the blades flew towards him. But a small figure suddenly jumped out in front of the young man before the blades, brandishing a large object that opened up, revealing an infinite darkness within that swallowed the blades into its abyss. The object closed once more as the user of this weapon stepped out from behind. A young girl with light auburn hair that went slightly past her shoulders.

"What-"

Before Iris could say another word, the young girl opened the object once more and from the darkness, blades shot out. The exact same blades that Iris threw now flew back at her.

"Watch out!"

Tomoyo jumped out and managed to knock most of the blades away with her enhanced fists.

"Tch."

Tomoyo looked down at the scratch one of the blades she missed made on her thigh. Iris used poison blades but Tomoyo had a certain immunity to it, not enough to be completely resistant to it as her legs were beginning to feel the numbness spreading. She looked up once more to the newcomer. She knows that face.

"Saya."

Tomoyo muttered.

"Saya? You mean the one from Edge?"

Kyou asked, stepping back. Tomoyo did not want to admit it, but she nodded.

"... Yes. 'That' Saya..."

It was a report that made most of the Assault division leaders cringe. Routine scouting mission turned sour. No one knows exactly what happened, only that Saya returned by herself... and the decapitated heads of her party members. Before an investigation could be launched, Kou took her in, preventing anyone from interrogating the girl. By the time Kyou could get any form of appeal from the Division leaders to continue the investigation, D-day occurred. This was getting very problematic.

"Now now, Senpai, you shouldn't be so rude."

The young man said with a smile.

"Traitor? Me? I have done nothing that would warrant such a slanderous title. Well, maybe just this."

With a snap of his fingers, NPCs suddenly appeared all around the group. NPCs with weapons. Angels.

"We're surrounded!"

"W-where did they appear from? !"

Kyou demanded, raising her book in a defensive manner. Katsuragi narrowed his eyes at Shuusuke.

"... Tenryuu, since when did you take control of my troops?"

Katsuragi asked, to which Tenryuu merely shrugged.

"I just talked to one for a bit and had a very interesting plan. Besides, if I left the entire thing to you, you would not have explained anything right to them. The best way to get our intentions across, is through force."

"..."

Katsuragi could not argue with that logic. But there had to be a better way. Katsuragi raised his hand and the Angels all kept their weapons at once, causing slightly puzzled looks on the SSS and SSS2 members.

"W-why aren't they attacking?"

Tomoyo questioned.

"Don't fuck with me! Stop toying around with us and just get it over with!"

Kyou snapped, threatening to throw her book at Katsuragi. Katsuragi, on the other hand, simply stayed silent. Kyou felt extremely unnerved by that sad look that Katsuragi gave them. Was it pity? Pity from their sworn enemy? She will not accept that! Never!

"Why you-"

"Now why don't we all just cool our heads a little."

A voice suddenly spoke up, stopping Kyou in mid-sentence. Stepping forward where Katsuragi could see, was a young woman with shoulder length violet hair and sharp emerald eyes that seemed to gleam a sense of danger. This girl is dangerous, was all Katsuragi could think of.

"Don't butt into this, Nakamura-san! This is our problem to deal with!"

Kyou shouted to the newcomer, who narrowed her eyes at Katsuragi, then to Kyou.

"... Don't tell me not to butt into this matter... GIRL."

That single word contained as much force as a ten tonne truck hitting Katsuragi and apparently Kyou felt it too.

"Your problem? Ha! Don't make me laugh! The fight outside may have been your problem, but now it isn't. This battle, this entire war isn't just your problem any more! The consequences of my own actions back then, my own indecisiveness had escalated into a disaster that affects not only this World, but the World of the living as well! So don't tell me that this isn't my problem!"

The girl snapped at Kyou, who actually retreated a step. The girl pointed up towards the top of the tower.

"Whatever awaits us at the top is something that I must finish, it is something that I started and I will end it with my own hands."

The girl then lowered her hand, pointing her finger at Kyou.

"This was never truly about you or the SSS2... This is not your story. Yours had long ended, Fujibayashi-san. The pain, the struggles of the SSS2 may have been real, may have meant something. But now this story has to run its true course. The final chapter is upon us and it is time for this tale to return back to the one who started it. Me."

Katsuragi knew it. This girl is the predecessor. The one who started the SSS and this madness. Nakamura Yuri. She seriously was bad news. And right now, that very bad news focused her attention on him.

"You! You must be the special NPC that Otonashi had been bragging about non-stop."

"...?"

Otonashi? The name of his creator?

"... You spoke to my crea-... father?"

Katsuragi asked, unsure of how to call Otonashi. The infusion of Kei's soul must have messed up his thinking more than he thought.

"Father? That's gross. What sort of fetish has Otonashi gotten? Nevermind. Yes, your... father."

If Otonashi had truly spoken to this girl, then the SSS must be the ones that Kei was talking about. Kei told Katsuragi that Otonashi had planned to bring some sort of secret weapon to help finish this war. But never did he think that this 'weapon' would be the SSS themselves. He thought about it for a while before nodding his head. The Angels all lowered their guard and started to disperse, giving the SSS2 a better setting to relax. Saya, Shuusuke and Kai joined Katsuragi as he walked towards the SSS group. He stepped past an angry Kyou and stopped before Yuri, extending a hand to her.

"My name is Katsuragi Rei, created by Otonashi to end this madness once and for all. Since my father had placed his trust in you, so shall I."

Yuri looked at him for the moment, before smiling and shaking his head.

"I am Nakamura Yuri, leader of the SSS. I look forward to working with you."

* * *

"I still can't believe that you're one of those NPCs."

Nakamura Yuri said off handedly as the group walked on, her eyes travelling up and down Katsuragi.

"I am a different sort of NPC from the others."

Katsuragi replied with a smile despite the fact that he was extremely creep out by the former SSS leader's studious gaze.

"I know, I heard it all from Otonashi himself. Created from a separate space from this one, as well as having a human soul fused into you. There's a limit to how sci-fi / fantasy this setting can get."

"There's no point in telling that to me. I cannot change what has already been put into place within the script."

He merely replied, earning a puzzled look from Yuri.

"Script?"

She quizzed.

"Earlier, you talked about how this is now your story. So, script."

Yuri stared at him. Nothing but long hard stares. Did he say something wrong? Then-

"... Ha ha ha. Script. I see. How funny. Ha ha ha ha."

Yuri laughed, though her laugh was extremely sarcastic, monotonous and her eyes were definitely not laughing.

"... Are you retarded?"

She suddenly stopped laughing and said that.

**[Katsuragi Rei received 999999 damage]**

"But besides that, what are you going to do about them?"

Yuri asked, pointing her thumb towards the back of the group, where the SSS2 were obviously showing their discomfort and disagreement with the entire arrangement of working with NPCs. Kyou in particular. But Katsuragi eyed Yamato. The young woman was still in a certain state of shock at the news of his identity. She could get killed at this rate. Katsuragi cared for Yamato, but he knew that the way he felt about her was different from how she felt about him. And mainly because of how she felt about him, to her the truth about him was probably the worst thing she had to come to terms with, if she ever did.

"It's not my place to resolve small issues with you people but if you don't deal with this situation, I'm going to shoot them all right here and now. It's depressing to walk with them like this."

Yuri said, pulling out her pistol. Katsuragi did not know if she was being serious or simply joking about but it was best not to even ask. But it was true that he needed to address them.

"It would be best to simply tell them."

A new voice spoke up. Turning around, Katsuragi saw the face of his creator. No, not his creator. This was his creator's 'other half', Kamiya Yuzuru. Kamiya exuded a different feeling than his creator, a feeling that was more... serene and at peace. His creator, Otonashi, was rather mysterious, unsettled and always seems to be harbouring a secret of some sorts.

"Talk is sometimes the best thing for a situation like this."

Kamiya added.

"Sometimes isn't always, Yuzuru."

Yuri muttered, to which Kamiya simply shrugged before turning back to Katsuragi.

"But it is always best to give it a shot. No matter what the obstacle is, if you don't take the first step in conquering it, you will never be able to cross it."

Katsuragi thought about what Kamiya had said. Perhaps it is best for him to go talk to them. Despite what he is, he was still part of the SSS2 once. He had a certain... bond, that he wanted to maintain. Katsuragi closed his fist and nodded. He will talk to them.

"... Thank you, Kamiya-san."

Katsuragi said before turning around and heading to Kyou and the others of the SSS2.

"... You know that kid is going to die."

Yuri said after Katsuragi left. Kamiya simply smiled back.

"Then that is his own first step in overcoming that obstacle."

**[Katsuragi Rei died]**

* * *

Fujibayashi Kyou was angry. Angry was an understatement. She was fuming, boiling, furious and all ready to blow up. Well, she did blow up and shot Katsuragi a few times before Tomoyo stopped her. She wasn't angry over the fact that Katsuragi was an NPC, not to mention a high level Angel, and that he had managed to infiltrate the organization, but she was more angry over the fact that what he was programmed to do, or his entire purpose for what he did, made sense to her. Everyone by now knew that the SSS2 was a lost cause. They were fighting an endless war that would only drive them deeper into despair. Katsuragi's creator, the enigmatic 'Creator', had sent him out to reverse the damage done by the 'earlier' creations. The names Amatsukai Ichigo and Amagami Futayo were extremely familiar to the SSS2. Amatsukai Ichigo is the name of the student council president though no one has ever seen him before, and Amagami Futayo is the president of the student discipline committee, whom none of the SSS2 had ever seen as well.

Before Katsuragi explained everything, the SSS2 had merely assumed that both Amatsukai Ichigo and Amagami Futayo were pseudo names used by the 'Creator' in order to appear as two people. They were in fact two separate people and the SSS2 merely had a case of 'over-thinking-analysis'. According to Katsuragi, the two NPCs, supposedly his 'siblings', went out of control after coming into contact with the 'despair' of the SSS2. That 'despair' manifested itself into 'essences'. The system of this Afterlife worked in this fashion. The Afterlife was created by humans. Humans, who had emotions, feelings and powerful wills, were afraid to die. They feared the dark abyss to the point where their 'despair' eventually formed the Afterlife World. This World was made to absorb the regrets and fears of humans who had passed on, integrating such emotions into itself and expanding and essentially evolving into a more complex system. Then came someone who 'created' the Angel Program, known as the 'Programmer'. No one knows who he is, what he was doing or thinking, but he created the program and became an unknown NPC after that. The program had interjected into the system of the World, introducing to the Afterlife a 'fail-safe' mechanism that would prevent people from staying too long in this Afterlife. That fail-safe became the Shadows.

After the SSS had tried to shut down the program, albeit in a rather violent manner, the program merged itself into the Afterlife, becoming almost one and the same. The World absorbed the despair of the humans, and that in turn created essences which became Shadows. It was around this time that the two creations of the 'Creator', Amatsukai Ichigo and Amagami Futayo, stepped out of their 'blank' World and came into contact with the essences. As they had never been exposed to such raw emotions, the systems within them went hay-wire and caused them to become mad, resulting in them converting NPCs and creating the new type of enemy. The Angels. Katsuragi Rei, however, was spared such a fate as he did not leave the 'blank' World that his 'Creator' had made. In addition, Katsuragi had received a 'human' soul, giving him protection from the essences since he was almost human.

"And that soul belongs to who?"

Tomoyo asked, somewhat intrigued by his story. Kyou was interested as well but she preferred not to show it. She was still somewhat angry about accepting his entire reasons for fighting.

"I'm sorry but I'm not allowed to say... it is 'his' wish."

Katsuragi replied with a smile.

"I see... But still, isn't it going to be hard for you? To fight your own siblings?"

Tomoyo knew all too well about sibling fights. Kyou did as well. Katsuragi closed his eyes, shaking his head slightly.

"It would be easy to call us siblings but we hardly had any interactions before. In truth, I do not know what they look like."

Katsuragi replied but that was simply a cover up and Tomoyo knew that well.

"... But it's still tough, isn't it?"

"... Yes."

Katsuragi's smile finally dropped as he looked down at his own hands.

"It may be because I had merged with a human soul, or due to my interactions with the SSS2, but I feel more... concerned. As though I do not wish to fight them though I know I must."

Tomoyo looked at Katsuragi slightly concerned. She turned to Yamato and saw that the girl was still slightly shocked. In such cases, Tomoyo was hoping that Yamato, someone closer to Katsuragi, would be able to comfort him, but it appears that this isn't the case.

"That is what we call human connections, Katsuragi."

Kyou suddenly spoke up, her voice clearly irritated.

"Connections?"

"Humans have a strange tendency to create connections when they may not exist. We try to find reasons to stay, to ground ourselves into our own reality. Humans are beings of change yet we hate to change. And so we find every possibility of connections in order to define what we truly are. We build and apply relationships, we structure communities, we build societies. We are social creatures not only for protecting from dangers on the outside, but also from the solitude of not knowing who we are. Like me... I am not Fujibayashi Kyou without my sister. I would have my own life, but that is not who I am. Same with Tomoyo, she isn't who she would be if it weren't for her family."

Kyou explained though it sounded more like a lecture. Tomoyo simply smiled at her friend's attempt to change her attitude towards Katsuragi, but it would take time.

"Looks like we're here."

Yuri announced, causing the entire group to stop. What stood before them was a twisted winding spiral staircase with uneven steps of different shapes, sizes and even angular degree. Whilst the main large stairwell led up, a small stairwell was visible next to it, leading down into the ground through a large hole.

"Well, time to split up."

Kamiya Yuzuru said, walking over to the descending stairwell with Tachibana Kanade following closely behind. Kanade then paused for a moment, turning around and throwing something towards Yuri, who caught the object and looked down at it.

"... Is it done, Kanade-chan?"

Yuri asked, looking up at her former-enemy-turned-best-friend. Kanade nodded slightly.

"But it is only good for one try, so don't waste it."

Kanade warned before turning around and leaving the rest with the other stairwell.

"Are you sure they'll be alright?"

Hinata asked, to which Yuri simply turned and walked towards the ascending stairwell.

"We all know what we have to do, Hinata. They will have to go down and we... go up."


	47. Chapter 47

A/N: To answer your question, how about 2 months of waiting?

Well, first off, sorry for the delay. I had some writer's block and then I started to write other stories, creating one for Sword Art Online and another one for Skyrim. Then my sister went off to scold me for writing too many at one time so those will have to wait. After that, my internet did a sky dive and my computer decided to stop working. I almost lost this story but luckily I didn't. I should back up my files soon.

I thought I explained what the black tower was a few chapters back? In case you forgot, the black tower is something formed out of the school when the program went berserk.

As for who is in the group that is currently storming the castle? Well, here's a break down.

-SSS (Original)

Consisting of Yuri and the others (minus Kanade and Yuzuru), these are the original SSS who are heading up the tower

-SSS2

While I have not made a list of who is in the group from the SSS2 exactly, here are some that are in for sure.  
- Katsuragi Rei  
- Kusanagi Yamato  
- Saya  
- Tenryuu Shuusuke  
- Kai  
- Fujibayashi Kyou"  
- Sakagami Tomoyo  
- Testarrossa Iris  
- Goudatera Takako

Well, these are the main guys anyway.

This chapter is already quite long, and the next few should be also just as long. Maybe they may take longer to write, since I'm really tied up in the office these few days. New drawings will be posted soon! I've already drawn what Kou looks like, so look forward to them!

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 47_

_Lust_

The group raced up the uneven spiralling steps, heading up the twisting tower. As they climbed higher and higher, the ground below seemed to shrink and fade further and further. The stairs just kept going, on and on. Eventually, the ground was no longer visible as the stairs led out of the base of the tower, which was broader, and into the neck of the dark tower. Despite the steps being uneven, the group still managed to push on at a hurried pace. With Nakamura Yuri at the lead, the group just ran without question.

Katsuragi Rei knew of what made the legendary SSS leader quicken her pace. The Apocalypse program. He knew that stopping his two 'siblings' would cause the program to shut down... on a normal day. But something told him that even defeating those two, the program may still run. That came to his second objective. Ensuring the passing of the SSS2. The SSS2 leaders were somewhere in this tower and it would be through them that he can convince the SSS2 to pass on. Truth be told, with the appearance of the SSS, he did not need to worry about the rest of the SSS2. He just needed to convince the few most powerful people in the SSS2 to pass on. That will not be an easy task, not to mention that they were the ones who could probably cause the greatest amount of disruption to the system if left alone. The group suddenly stopped, making Katsuragi snap out of his slight day-dream.

"Why have we stopped?"

Kyou asked out loud.

"... Because it seems we have reached... something."

Came Yuri's reply. The stairwell seemingly cuts off into a short flat plane and standing right before the group in the middle of their path was a large pair of stone doors that covered from floor to ceiling. Carved into the door were sculptures of women and men, all in rather illicit poses, seemingly fawning over one another in a picture that depicted a mass orgy.

"... Is this suppose to be a shounen story? Or a seinen one?"

Yuri asked in a slightly sarcastic manner as she walked up towards the gate. Something told Katsuragi that this was bad news.

"These doors... they're unnatural."

Yuri muttered as she traced her finger across the surface of the door. A trail of black smoke from the door followed her finger.

"Black essence."

Yuri muttered, pulling her finger back.

"Hideki~, I'm scared."

Yui's annoying voice came out. Turning around, Yuri saw Yui being fawned over by her idiotic childhood friend.

"There there, I'm right here, Yui."

Somehow this really irked Yuri. However it wasn't only the idiotic couple that were making weird noises.

"Hisako~ I'm scared!"

That Fujimaki is acting all weird around Hisako, who just summarily ignored him.

"There's something in the air here."

Naoi Ayato said, looking up as though there was some visible floating substance in the air.

"Something?"

Yuri quizzed and Ayato nodded in return.

"Yes, most likely it is a product of the thick concentration of black essences. It seems to be subliminally manipulating us. Of course it is weak so does not affect us unless we're weak in mind. I'm God so I won't be affected such trivial-"

"Right, so weak mind means being affected."

Yuri summed up his point while cutting him off before he could go on some long self-indulgent rant to feed his narcissistic ego. Yuri still wonders why didn't Ayato make so much noise when Kamiya was not heading in the same direction as them. Maybe he got over his strange affection for Yuzuru? Most likely not. However there was one person that Yuri was wondering whether he was being affected by this... essence or not. Noda. Yuri turned to look at the halberd wielding idiot, only to see that he looked away from her. He was looking at her secretly. Ah, he was affected. He was affected all right. Best to leave him alone, otherwise he might blow up or something.

"... Let's go then."

Yuri said, using both of her hands and pushed the doors open. The giant doors swung open without much force and the group entered into what appeared to be a giant hall.

"... This place should not exist."

Shiina noted and it was true. This hall was clearly larger than what the surrounding area can provide. This was another case of the black essence distorting the space around them. But what was not distorted was the large collection of strange art pieces. Placed all around this giant hall were statues of naked people in various poses, as well as paintings and drawings either on the walls or on easels or on the floor. The paintings depicted people as well, albeit in a more sexual and crude manner.

"Someone is a pervert."

Yuri muttered as she took a closer look at one of the paintings.

"I prefer if you would call it 'Art'."

A voice spoke up just as the giant doors suddenly slammed shut behind the group, locking them inside the hall. Stepping out from behind one of the statues was a young man with short light brown hair, shifting his spectacles slightly as he observed them with a smile.

"That is... Jinnai?"

Kyou asked in bewilderment. Jinnai, the second leader of the diversion division. Jinnai smiled and nodded in reply.

"Yes, I am Jinnai of Diversion. How well for all of you to arrive."

There was something in Jinnai's tone, his movements, his words, his very presence... something that felt... wrong. All within the group felt it and they knew it.

"... Jinnai, what is going on? Where did all of the Division heads go?"

Kyou demanded, to which Jinnai merely smiled, shaking his head slightly.

"Tsk tsk, Major Fujibayashi. Do you know you're addressing someone of a higher rank and position? But no matter, it doesn't matter any longer. The war, the divisions, the SSS2. Nothing matters."

Jinnai smiled in a slightly awkward manner.

"What do you mean 'nothing matters'? ! Explain yourself!"

Kyou snapped, to which the leader of the diversion division merely closed his eyes, his smile dropped.

"When I said nothing matters, it meant nothing really matters now. Mainly because all of you... will die here."

A sudden blast of pressure exploded from Jinnai, hitting the group hard. It was like the air was heavy, squeezing the breath out of them. Their bodies felt heavy, their movements restricted. This feeling was something the SSS2 knew. This was the same feeling as the S class Angel and above. This was the feeling of a division leader's full strength. Jinnai may be the weakest of all the division leaders, as well as lacking a SSS weapon that five of the division leaders hold, but he was nonetheless a division leader. Someone who had gained the level of respect, recognition and power to stand above all others within the SSS.

"T-this is... what the hell is happening Yurrippe? !"

Hinata demanded. Yuri only knew of one possibility. Something that both Yuzurus had told her about.

"The Angel Program. Tch, so this is what is going on."

Yuri muttered. With the amount of black essence around them, coupled with the corruption within the program, this would prove to be a very dangerous problem.

"Jinnai! What are you doing? !"

"Don't bother trying to reason with him! He's beyond words now!"

Yuri warned Kyou, drawing her side arm. The SSS as well as the Angels that Katsuragi converted all drew their weapons. Only the SSS2 members were unsure. This was one of their leaders here, they couldn't very well draw their weapons upon those that they had entrusted their lives onto.

"Watch out! He's coming!"

Yuri warned just as Jinnai drew his weapon.

* * *

_[Boss Fight]_

_[4th Division Leader: Diversion]_

_[Jinnai]_

_[Alignment: Neutral Good]_

_[Type: Lust]_

_[Level: 80_

_HP: 540000_

_MP: 500000_

_Strength: C_

_Agility: C_

_Endurance: C_

_Luck: D]_

_[Weapons List:_

_- AR-15 Rifle (Rank C)_

_- Remington Shotgun (Rank B)_

_- Long Sword, Lancelot (Rank S) ]_

A shock wave erupted as Jinnai swung his sword across, forcing the group backwards. Yuri gritted her teeth as she looked up, the mad malice that was being exuded from the SSS2 Division leader was almost visible. She turned to look at the special NPC, Katsuragi Rei. No doubt he could see the insanity as well.

"Jinnai! Stop this!"

Kyou tried to shout but her voice was drowned by the violent winds emitting from the division leader.

"This is getting nowhere... Hey you! Don't you have anything to combat this? !"

Yuri snapped at Katsuragi who turned to her whilst shielding his face with his hand from the winds.

"Do I look like some sort of Swiss army knife to you? !"

He shouted back.

"I don't know! Aren't you? !"

"Tch, fine."

Katsuragi narrowed his eyes as though analysing the situation.

"... Saya!"

Katsuragi shouted, and the former Edge fighter rushed forward, brandishing her large weapon, the wooden coffin known as Graveyard, and planting it in front of her to face Jinnai. Yuri remembered that weapon was used against the SSS2 members before. If she remembered correctly it was a weapon that could absorb any attack and reflect it back, but was that its only function? Somehow Yuri did not think so.

"Do it!"

At Rei's word, Saya activated her weapon. The coffin door flew wide open, the violent winds were forcibly sucked into its darkness. Soon the winds were all but swallowed into the coffin and Saya slammed the coffin shut. The SSS group now could catch a breather but Jinnai wasn't easily done in.

"You... do you know what have you done? !"

Jinnai screamed at them, swinging his sword wildly.

"Jinnai... what happened to you?"

"Happened? ! I'LL TELL YOU WHAT HAPPENED! LIFE HAPPENED! THE DAMN INEQUALITY OF LIFE HAPPENED!"

The leader of the Diversion leader, the usually calm and calculative leader, snapped. He was suppose to be one who would control the division as Awase was unreliable. But now nothing about him said the same as before. His face contorted with hate, his voice laced with venomous spite, his eyes burned with an angry fury that no one knew existed within him.

"... It is the black essence. He's completely consumed by it."

Yuri muttered. It was problematic enough that the Division leaders were using the Angel Program, but it was now even more dangerous with them being consumed by black essences. The program was like an atomic bomb and the SSS2's crude access into it was like a child given the control that very same bomb. The SSS2 had no way to limit how much power the program would put out, and thus in return they were unable to control how much the program could feed-back into them whenever they used it.

The program, as explained by Katsuragi, was corrupted to the core and that corruption had entered the body and soul of every SSS2 member who used it. If it weren't for Katsuragi's quick attempts to control the corruption, Yuri and the SSS might just have to fight the entire SSS2 at this moment. And the other problem is the black essence. Yuri knew that when the Shadows were made from those essences, and that black essences were powerful but extremely corruptible objects. And this tower was so concentrated with it that Yuri could feel it on her skin. The Angel program had absorbed more of these essences and fed it into these division leaders. That made them violent, unreasonable and lastly... extremely dangerous. And that dangerous came when Jinnai suddenly drew his rifle and fired.

"Get down!"

The entire group took cover behind the statues that filled the hall, Jinnai's wild and erratic shots chipping off some of the statues that the group were hiding behind. But only one person wasn't hiding. Yamato.

"Yamato! Get down!"

Kyou hissed but the girl was still somewhat in a daze. Even with the commotion and the mad Division leader shooting his weapon everywhere, she still stood there. Her eyes showing a blank and hollow gaze. Katsuragi knew that this current state Yamato was in was dangerous, he dashed out of cover towards her, tackling her down just as a gunshot went off. Yamato snapped out of her stupor and looked at Katsuragi. His left arm was bleeding from the previous gun shot.

"... Katsu... ragi...?"

Her words barely a whisper but he heard her and smiled.

"Yo, sleepy head. Good to know you're back with us now."

"... W-why? Why save me?"

"Do I need a reason to save you?"

Yamato wanted to say more but didn't. It was that simple to him. Though he may be an NPC, an angel no less, he was still Katsuragi. He wasn't fake, or some imaginary person. He was flesh, blood, bone, thoughts, heart, soul. The feelings for him that she held onto. Those were not fake. Her chest felt tight. She knew that no matter who or what Katsuragi Rei is, she loves him. Since their training days as recruits, she had a slight inkling. Then as wolves the feelings grew without warning and without control. But... She looked to him. His determined eyes. Those eyes that held no lie. Those eyes that constantly looked forward. Those eyes... that did not see her. That was another thing that pained her. His eyes did not see her, but rather... at Kurogane Kou.

"Well, this is getting us nowhere."

Yuri muttered looking at how the group was lost without reason to fight. The SSS2 could not face their own leader at this point and the SSS were unsure on how to deal with an Angel Program user.

"We need to end this quickly."

Yuri loaded her gun but a raised hand stopped her. It was Saya.

"... I'll handle him."

Saya said, lifting up her coffin as she stood up.

"Saya... are you sure?"

Rei asked, to which Saya nodded.

"Yes... I feel that he and I... are similar."

Similar? In what way?

"It's still dangerous, we'll provide back-up."

Rei said, taking out his sword. Saya narrowed her eyes at him but said nothing of it. The Angels that Rei converted had stood their ground as well, stepping forward to fight by Saya and Rei's side.

"Sheesh, you're sure one to be eager to fight, aren't you?"

Tenryuu Shuusuke said with a slight cheeky smile.

"Weren't you the one who suggested to get this over fast? If you don't want to fight, you can always stay back."

Rei countered back, to which Shuusuke merely shrugged.

"I'm just offering my own thoughts on the situation."

"Your thoughts are irrelevant"

One of the Angels replied nonchalantly

"Geh, even one of the NPCs managed to shoot an insult to me. Oi! Katsuragi! What's the meaning of this!"

Shuusuke demanded.

"They're saying what they want."

Rei replied without taking his eyes off the berserk Diversion leader.

"Like hell they are! You're putting words for them to say!"

"Whatever you say."

Rei muttered, not wanting to bother dealing with Shuusuke any more than he has to. Right now the most important thing was to deal with Jinnai, who apparently did not like being ignored.

"DON'T YOU DARE IGNORE ME!"

Like he said. Jinnai aimed his rifle and fired at the group but Saya rushed forward, planting her coffin between the group and the fire storm of bullets. The coffin door flew open and once again the dark abyss within the strange box swallowed all of the rounds fired by Jinnai.

"... It's not enough."

Saya muttered, closing the coffin door before looking up to Jinnai.

"... We're alike, you and I."

"We're nothing alike!"

Jinnai spat, tossing aside his empty rifle and pulling out his shotgun.

"Do you know how much I suffered? How much pain, agony, despair and guilt I had to go through? !"

The hatred, the anger was growing. The malice that was being controlled by the black essence, was in turn controlling the essences within the hall. But Saya stood her ground. Never flinching, never wavering in the face of such power and darkness.

"... No... I will never know."

Saya said under her breath, her words barely a whisper. She tapped the side of her coffin with a finger. The door creaked open slightly and Saya reached inside the coffin. Her hand disappeared into the abyss and shortly after, she pulled her hand out, holding the hilt of a long sword. To be exact, it was the same long sword that Jinnai held in his hand.

_[Equip: Long Sword, Lancelot (False) (Rank B) ]_

Saya brought the sword up, her eyes showing both admiration, and sorrow at the weapon.

"That is... THAT IS MY WEAPON! WHY DO YOU HAVE MY WEAPON? !"

Jinnai screamed at Saya, unleashing another wave of malice at the young woman, who merely pointed the imitation sword at the wave and the energy dispersed itself before her, shooting past the group harmless as they stood behind Saya.

"... This blade may be an imitation and its power cannot compare to the original, but it still holds the same name and therefore the meaning of its name... The sword, Lancelot... the Knight who fell from grace because of a woman."

Saya muttered, looking at the blade of the sword. The sword itself was nothing special. It was a simple design yet strong and sturdy. It had a sharp edge and was everything that a sword was.

"Just like its name sake... The perfect sword. Not overburdened by useless accessories that a sword does not need, not extravagant or overly sharpened. Not dull either. But still..."

Saya stabbed the blade's tip into the essence filled ground and from the ground a dark shadow seeped out from the crack where the blade buried itself. The blade itself was seemingly dull, rusted, worn.

"The blade will still rust once it has tasted lust."

Saya pulled the blade out of the ground the blade reverted back to its original form. She then looked up to Jinnai, her eyes showing nothing but pity for the diversion division leader.

"... Just like you... Jinnai senpai."

"SILENCE!"

Jinnai suddenly charged without warning, firing his shotgun at Saya, who hid behind her coffin.

"YOU KNOW NOTHING! NOTHING AT ALL!"

Jinnai screamed, emptying his shotgun before tossing it aside and drawing his long sword once more. At this moment, Saya rushed out from behind her cover and charged at Jinnai. The two swung their identical blades at each other and the blades connected, sending a ringing sound throughout the hall as metal hit metal.

"Spread out! Take him out!"

Katsuragi Rei shouted to his Angels and they rushed out, brandishing their own swords and spears, charging at Jinnai. Saya jumped back as Jinnai swung his blade horizontally at her. As she increased the distance between her and Jinnai, the Angels rushed in to take advantage of the opening. But a division leader was not so easily taken out. Jinnai twisted his body, bringing the sword around from a high angle, bringing the blade down on the first Angel. The Angel had no defence, and was cut right through by the blade, disappearing into nothingness. Using his free hand, Jinnai reached out and stopped the attack of a second Angel, sending the pommel of his sword into the abdomen of the Angel before kicking the staggering Angel away.

Raising his blade, he threw it at the third Angel and the blade embedded itself in the Angel's head, killing him immediately. Jinnai rushed over, jumping up and twisting his body, sending his leg in one full arc through the air and crashing it down on an Angel. He rolled across the floor, grabbing his blade along the way and he got back to his feet, bringing his blade through another Angel from below upwards. He turned around and brought the blade down on another Angel but the Angel blocked with his spear. The spear was no match for the sword but before the sword could get through, Saya rushed forward, pulling the Angel by the shoulder backwards before sending her blade forward at Jinnai, who managed to deflect the blow away.

"DISAPPEAR! DISAPPEAR FROM MY SIGHTS!"

Jinnai screamed, sending a flurry of strikes and swings at Saya, who managed to either dodge or deflect them away.

"... Does it haunt you, Senpai? To see 'her' again?"

Saya questioned, side stepping another swing.

"SILENCE! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT MY PAIN IS!"

"... No, I don't... but I know of it."

Saya jumped back, giving herself distance before bringing the sword up to her face, the reflective surface showing Jinnai his enraged self covering half of her face. Then she tiled the blade slightly, and the image on the surface of the sword changed. Changed to that of a young woman, one who looked somewhat similar to Jinnai though slightly older. At the sight of this face, Jinnai froze. The colour of his face drained, his eyes widened.

"T-that... y-you..."

Jinnai stammered, backing away from Saya as though he had seen a ghost. Saya merely closed her eyes as the image of the young woman faded away from the blade's surface.

"Lancelot... the most trusted and loyal knight of King Arthur and being considered by most as the most perfect knight. Neither boasting of his glories nor shying away from a challenge, he embodied the codes of the Knights. But as with all men, he had a weakness. The wife of his lord. He had fallen from grace by a forbidden love. He ran away from the Kingdom with the wife of his lord just when his lord needed him most. He abandoned his duties as a Knight to be with a woman, and after the fall of the great kingdom of Camelot, he came to grieve for the loss of his King, falling into despair for what he had done. Forever would he abandon his sword for the only thing he sees on its surface is the weight of his sins. Just like the Knight, you can only see your sins through the sword."

Saya swung the blade down, walking towards Jinnai, who only stepped back in fear of Saya and her blade.

"W-WHY? ! W-WHY DO YOU HAVE THAT FACE? !"

Jinnai demanded, staggering back.

"... In your case, Senpai, you see a face that brings out only pain. Of your sins, of your guilt. What you did can not be changed."

"Y-you... T-that face...M-Mizuki-."

Saya stopped in her steps. She looked down at her blade, looking at its reflective surface though it only showed her own reflection.

"... Yes... Mizuki... A name you know very well... Senpai."

"I-I see now... why you have that face... why you know so much about me..."

Jinnai muttered, getting his balance despite still being shaken.

"Y-... You're Mizuki's younger sister... Saya."

Saya looked up to Jinnai, staring straight into his eyes as she spoke.

"... Yes. I am Mizuki's sister, Saya. Good of you to remember me, Senpai."

"So... you've come to this World as well."

Jinnai muttered, lowering his gaze.

"So you're the demon that I have to face. The sins of my past. But is that the only reason you came here?"

Saya merely stayed silent at Jinnai's question.

"You would not be standing before me if that was the only reason for your entry into this World. So why are you here? For what, revenge? It's pointless... ALL POINTLESS! ... We're dead. ALL DEAD!"

Jinnai snapped at Saya, who merely lowered her head.

"... No, this isn't about revenge... I'm sure... onee-chan wouldn't want it... But... my life is too similar to yours. What I did in life, only cause pain for others."

At this, Jinnai suddenly stopped. The heavy weight of malice and hatred seemed to be lifted from the hall. Jinnai's expression soften as he lowered his weapon.

"Saya-chan... My path... is one that is unforgivable. For you to walk down the same path is... painful. Saya-chan... why?"

Saya bit her lip, somewhat afraid to answer the question. To face her own problems and painful memories. But she did. When she was consumed by the black essence during the initiation test of the Guardians. She relived her nightmares and she faced them. She turned her head, seeing Katsuragi Rei standing there. He saved her, helped her through the darkness. For him, she would lay down her soul. And so she can face her darkness now. She turned back to Jinnai, her eyes showing a strong will of confidence burning within.

"... I chose my path because I had believed it to be the best course of action. I see my own mistakes now and have accepted them as such. It was because of my foolish folly that led to my best friend suffering alone in despair, and that led me eventually to here. Just like you, senpai, I did it out of love."

Jinnai closed his eyes. His lips curled into a slightly smile.

"I see... so you have walked down my path... but unlike me, you have accepted your decisions and its outcome."

"Senpai... it isn't too late."

Saya said but Jinnai shook his head.

"No... it's too late for me."

_[Program: Initialized]_

_[Corruption level: 400%]_

_[Engaging DEMON protocol]_

A sudden change in the atmosphere made everyone back away from Jinnai. The amount of energy being emitted from his body was like a maelstrom of malice and corruption. The statues and art works all around within the hall started to seemingly melt into a black liquid and started to converge towards Jinnai.

"S-Senpai!"

Saya shouted, reaching out for Jinnai but the Division leader simply shook his head as the malice started to take over his body, colouring his skin black as it crawled upwards from the ground.

"You must stop me, Saya-chan. The madness that has corrupted the SSS2 must be eradicated."

Jinnai closed his eyes as the last trace of him was swallowed by the darkness.

_[Asmodeus; Activate]_

_**'I am the pain that stabs the heart**_

_**I am the flower that always blooms**_

_**I am the softest, yet undeniable sin**_

_**I sway the hearts of Kings**_

_**I am the fall of mighty nations,**_

_**the cause of great wars**_

_**All look at me with contempt,**_

_**yet hold me close to heart**_

_**No defiance, no wall can hold me in**_

_**I shall make the most stoic of men fall to his knees,**_

_**the holiest of priest to succumb to darkness**_

_**I am sin,**_

_**yet virtue**_

_**I am evil,**_

_**yet good**_

_**The love of the high heavens,**_

_**corrupt**_

_**I am the harbinger of all sins to come,**_

_**I am Asmodeus,**_

_**I am Luxuria,**_

_**I am LUST'**_

_[Boss Fight]_

_[Incarnation of Lust: Asmodeus]_

_[Level: 95_

_HP: 850000_

_MP: 995000_

_Strength: A_

_Agility: A_

_Endurance: A_

_Luck: A]_

Saya could only stare in sorrow at the large black mass before her. The darkness that consumed Jinnai hardened around him. The part where eyes should be were now burning red ambers. His sword melted into his hand, forming a wicked jagged edge. Teeth sharpened like a beast, arms and legs elongated, building up muscles. Spikes protruded from the joints, his spine jutting out and curving, creating a hardened shell like cover on his back. Nothing remained of the division leader. This was a beast. This is a demon. This was Asmodeus.

"Senpai..."

* * *

"This is getting out of hand..."

Yuri muttered, drawing her gun out. She needed to step in now. While Katsuragi Rei and his group had taken on to fight this... creature, it was clear now that this wasn't part of the plan. But just before Yuri could get into the fight, Rei raised his hand, stopping her.

"This is main part, Nakamura-san."

Rei said, drawing his sword. Yuri was about to object to his words but she stopped herself. Rei's sword. It was... glowing?

"... I suppose you have a plan on how to handle this?"

Yuri asked to which Rei merely smiled.

"You'll just have to see. Saya! Are you ready?"

Rei shouted out. Saya jumped back, retreating back to where her coffin still stood up right on the ground. She opened the coffin lid and raised the sword to the darkness. The sword seemingly disintegrated back into the abyss within the coffin.

"..."

Saya looked at Rei silently before placing both of her hands on the lid of the coffin and closing her eyes. Rei nodded to her request and shouted to the other Angels.

"Buy her some time!"

Without any hesitation, the Angels all charged in. But the creature was too strong. With just one swipe from his mangled hand, it sent three Angels flying away.

"We'll get into the fight as well."

Kai said, drawing his rifle and charging in. Tenryuu Shuusuke sighed, shaking his head.

"By 'we', he meant me, right? Whatever, let's get this over with."

Shuusuke muttered, drawing his weapons as he walked in to join the fight. Rei turned his gaze to Saya. His grip on his sword tightened. He wanted to do more but... All he could now was to trust Saya to push this fight to the end.

"..."

Saya stayed silent as her ears shut out the sounds of battle around her. Her breathing was slowed and shallow. She mentally shut out all sounds, feelings, smells and sights from her mind. All she needed, was to shut herself off. Her mind urged to pay heed to her surroundings but she ignored them. What she wanted was something deeper. Something within herself. The darkness... of death.

"... I'm sorry... But I have to call you out in order to make senpai pass on."

Saya muttered under her breath to the coffin.

"You're the only one who can bring him back... you were the only one whom he truly loved... onee-san."

_[Access skill: Beyond the Grave]_

From the coffin a bright light erupted, exploding light all around. The light died down and the coffin door swung open. A figure suddenly stepped out from the dark abyss within the coffin. Dressed in an elaborate form of armour, the translucent glowing figure took the form of a young woman. A young woman that looked like Saya.

"... Onee.. san."

The figure said nothing to Saya, merely standing there. It was the power of Saya's weapon, taking the form of her heart's desire. Saya reached out to the glowing figure but stopped herself. This wasn't her sister. It wasn't, yet was. Her weapon, Graveyard, could absorb the power of any attacker and return them with the same attack. The grave, after all, was the abyss of darkness where all would return to. But if she stored the attacks without returning them, she could harness the power and create something more. The link between Jinnai and herself. Her sister, Mizuki. Saya was not powerful enough to bring her sister here but she was able to draw out some parts. This armoured clad figure was not Mizuki, but something along the lines of an incomplete clone with the essence of the original. Saya closed her eyes. This sin of calling her sister and using her against her former lover is too heavy. Her chest felt like it was being squeezed. But she had to do it. For the sake of ending this nightmare. She opened her eyes once more, filled with determination. She turned around to face the fight.

"Let's go."

Saya charged with the ghostly apparition following behind.

* * *

With blades being exchanged, the sounds of clashing steel against steel, Saya dodged the wild swing of the deformed division leader. Her older sister's ghostly apparition leaped in and swung at Jinnai, cutting the enraged beast before it could jump back. Jinnai lunged at Saya, who brought up her arms in instinct but it was her apparition that blocked the attack. The eyes of the beast no longer held any form of humanity within them. Those eyes... that her sister loved.

"Senpai..."

.

.

.

"Senpai!"

I called out to him. He turned around at my call and the moment he saw me, he smiled.

"Yo, Saya-chan. What brings you here?"

He asked, as though he did not know why I was here. He should know. But still I would indulge in his act.

"I'm looking for Onee-san. Weren't you suppose to be with her?"

He rubbed his chin in thought at the question, before shaking his head.

"She stayed behind to do class duties. As for me, I was heading to the club room. Want to join me there? I'm sure Mizuki would come over once she was done."

He offered, to which I merely smiled and nodded, following him towards the club room. Jinnai, a brilliant guy whose studies were excellent, his personality was honest and caring, and his art works had won more awards than any other club combined. Not to mention, he was the boyfriend of Mizuki, my older sister. I sat there in the art club room, watching as Jinnai went about to paint his latest art work, a portrait of Mizuki in a field of sun flowers. A beautiful painting, even by Jinnai's standards.

"This is simple because the model is beautiful."

Jinnai would often say. The door to the clubroom opened and Mizuki stepped in.

"Sorry I'm late, the trash just piled up and- Saya? What are you doing here? Did you sneak out from your club activities again?"

I smile sheepishly in reply.

"Just let her, Mizuki, after all, she did come all the way here just to see you."

"Jinnai! Stop spoiling her!"

What a joyful scene. If only it could last.

.

.

.

Swinging her imitation sword, Lancelot, Saya charged at the raging beast, but Jinnai jumped back, dodging the attack all together. Just as he looked up, the ghostly apparition of Mizuki charged and brought its own sword down from above but Jinnai managed to dodge that as well, before swinging his bladed arm at the ghost but the blade only went through it like it was air. And through the 'mist' Saya leaped through, bringing her sword down on Jinnai. Blades clashed, metal against metal. With this dance of death, only Jinnai, Saya and the ghost of the link between them could be seen. The rest of the World did not seem to matter, only the painful past of the three.

.

.

.

How this happen? Why did this have to happen?

"Explain yourself! Senpai!"

I demanded, but he merely looked at me, his eyes darkened with the sort of face that was the complete opposite of the senpai that I knew. The beautiful paintings that he once painted were now stricken black, as though slashed through with a knife. The fall from grace of perfection, into the pits of despair.

"Saya... I... I have done... terrible things... M-Mizuki... I-... I'm sorry..."

The perfect senpai that I admired, that my sister loved, was no longer around. Replaced by an empty shell of a person. The forbidden fruit that was never meant to be taken, Senpai had taken. Falling in love with another woman, not to mention his own step sister, senpai betrayed the trust of my sister, as well as her love. When the truth came to light, it was all too late to repair. My sister, Mizuki, had taken her own life in despair of the betrayal. And soon after, Senpai passed away. The forbidden fruit that taken... would be tasted again.

.

.

.

She could not face Jinnai. Not after that. Not after what she blamed him for, and not after what she did. What she spite him for, she did it herself. A simple repetition of the same cycle. She spun her body, twisting it just in time to dodge the blade of the Jinnai though it still managed to cut slightly. Spinning one round, she brought her sword down on the toughened hide, causing the twisted abomination to howl out in pain. Jinnai lashed out at her, swinging his arm at her and though she manage to block it, it still sent her flying. Clutching her stomach, she felt the pain surging throughout her body. The pain was great but not as great as that time. Her past. A pain that no matter what happened would never go away.

.

.

.

"Eh? You're interested in Hiroshi?"

I asked, somewhat surprised. Kanako nodded her head vigorously She must have mustered up all of her courage to tell me that. Kanako was never the outgoing type and somehow the two of us became best friends ever since our first year together in middle school.

"I know that the two of you are in the same club, so... ONEGAI!"

Kanako slapped her hands together as though praying to me like I'm some deity. I scratched my cheek as I was at a loss at what to do. Hiroshi and I were both members of the same club and to everyone it would seem the two of us have a friendly rivalry... but... to me Hiroshi was... someone special.

"... Okay."

I finally said to Kanako, whose eyes lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Oh thank you! thank you! I knew I could count on you, my best friend!"

Best friend... huh... I was tearing up on the inside.

.

.

.

Betrayal for love, the same thing that she did not want to do became her downfall. For the sake of one man, she would forsake the friendship of a person she saw as someone she could trust. Betrayed the trust of a friend. She swung her blade across, cutting through the thick hide but a swipe from the bladed arm cut through her thigh in return. Pain, blood throughout the field. But no matter how much pain she suffered, it wasn't enough, it wasn't the same as before. It was not enough to quell the pain that stabbed her heart from back then. It was not enough to comfort the sorrow that the void within her. She gritted her teeth, shutting out the pain. She swung her blade once more. She no longer saw the dark contorted face of her senpai. She no longer saw the hideous form of a division leader driven to insanity. She only saw herself. She could only raise her weapon against herself. Against her dark and unwanted past.

.

.

.

Kanako had entrusted with me her love letter. The tiny pink envelope contained all of her courage and feelings. Standing in front of the school's trash incinerator, I had to wonder whether I was in the right mind? The thought of Kanako, the friend who had supported me in my times of trouble, the one who helped me through difficulties in the past when my sister died. The one who was always there for me, who stood by my side when no one else would. And yet... with this one envelope... my world would shatter. I threw away Kanako's letter. Watch it burn up into embers in the fire of my own madness. I placed my own letter instead. By my own hands, I had sown the seeds of my own destruction.

"S-Saya? W-wha... H-Hiroshi? W-why?"

I had confessed to Hiroshi right in front of Kanako.

"I trusted you! How could you do this to me? ! Answer! SAYA!"

Her eyes showing her shattered heart. She ran away and by some guilt-ridden instinct, I gave chase. Kanako did not see the train barriers come down, did not see the train speeding towards her. Her eyes blinded by the tears of betrayal. Why did I do this? Why did I cause so much grief to my friend? I did not hesitate. I pushed her out of the way and instead, I would repent for my sins. With my life.

.

.

.

The blades clashed, each trying to push the other down through brute force. The energies that surrounded them prevented any one else from interfering. She gritted her teeth as she stared straight into the eyes of madness just a mere inch away from hers. So close that she could see her own reflections. The sins of Jinnai were reflected back onto her. She caused this pain herself and it was the darkness within her that threatened to tear her soul apart. But she was saved. Saved by a hand that pulled her through it all. Katsuragi Rei. He had helped her overcome her darkness not only during the time of their Guardian's initiation training test, but also many times after that.

'Eh? A past that you cannot forget? Isn't that normal?'

He said back then.

'I may not know what you went through and I will never know. But frankly speaking, if it was your past, then it is something that had shaped you into what you are today. There are many things in the past that people would rather forget, to change it over, but if you want to deny such a past, you are denying your present and your future. The pain and suffering that humans go through help them learn and grow. It will be painful and it will be harsh, but humans are not born perfect. You need to accept that fact if you want to resolve your own sins.'

Perfection, ironic coming from an NPC. But what Rei said held merit and was true to her. She needed to accept her own sins and her own past. She did what she did because she believed such actions to be the right course to take. Though she may be blinded by love and tore her friendship apart, she still realized that it was only through such an event that she understood the importance of both love and friendship. The scales of equivalent trade. And in doing so, she understood Jinnai's position back then. Why he cheated on Mizuki.

"Senpai..."

She muttered to the growling beast.

"I will set you free."

She loosened her grip, letting the power of Jinnai to force the blade out of her hand. Everything seemed to happen so slowly. The blade of Jinnai sliding across her chest, tearing through her shirt as well as cutting through her skin, grazing the flesh under. Her body falling, gliding past Jinnai. She twisted her body, facing Jinnai's back. Her foot stuck back to stop her fall. The ghostly apparition of Mizuki, her sister, formed around her, forming an 'armour' like shell around her. The ghostly blade that Mizuki held mirroring the fallen sword of Lancelot despite her not holding onto hers any longer. The ghostly form of her sister moved in synchronized form with her, being fuelled by her power, becoming her blade for her. A skill that could only be done once she had accepted the past of both her sister's tragic death, as well as her own guilt ridden past. The skill that would be used to bring Mizuki's final wish straight into Jinnai. A skill called-

"Shingi (True skill): Sei Ren Sou Ken! (Spiritual love thought sword)"

The transluscent blade went right through Jinnai's body, seemingly ignoring the tough hide that would not break no matter how many times she slashed at it with her sword. Her sword that was filled with her thoughts, her memories, and finally... the last message of Mizuki.

.

.

.

"..."

'Jinnai.'

"M-Mizuki?"

'Jinnai.'

"I... I'm sorry... I'm sorry for everything..."

'... No... It isn't your fault.'

"But it is! No matter what you say it is still my fault to blame!"

'Jinnai... don't you know? I had always loved your paintings.'

"... I can't paint any more... not after all that."

'But you can. Jinnai, I was pained by your betrayal, but in the end it was something that had to be done.'

"Mizu...ki?"

'You're always the most honest through your paintings... I could see it all, Jinnai. I saw your pain, your suffering. Though you hid it all under your smiles, you paintings never lied. But I kept quiet about it. I had thought that maybe it was all a bad dream... but I knew I could not run away from the truth forever. Just like yourself.'

"Mizuki..."

'Jinnai, let's end this suffering. Rest now, Jinnai. Rest now and when you wake... I shall be waiting for your next painting.'

"... Ah... I'll make sure that it would be my best yet."

.

.

.

Laying in her arms, the once tough hide that covered his skin now crumbling into dust. Though he may be defeated, his existence fading away into nothingness, but he did not regret anything.

"Ah... I see now... The sky... has it always been so bright?"

He reached out his hand, trembling. Before it fell she grabbed onto his hand.

"Senpai..."

"Ah... Saya-chan... You look just like your sister..."

"..."

"Maybe... one day... I shall paint a picture... with you in it... with Mizuki... Yes... I can see it... a field of sunflowers... the three of us... together..."

She said nothing, but her emotions could not hold as tears swelled up in her eyes.

"Why... do you cry? ..."

He asked, reaching to her cheek, catching her tears as they rolled down.

"Do not worry... I will see you... again."

He muttered before his eyes closed.

"I'm... so tired... allow me... to rest... When I wake... we shall find Mizuki... together... I can't wait... to show her my next... work..."

She said nothing despite the weight of the words leaving a heavy impression on her. She had to stay strong. She looked up to the young man who stood before her.

"... Are you sure?"

He asked. She looked down at the peaceful face of her senpai. This would probably be the last she will see him with this expression.

"... Yes. Please do it... Katsuragi."

She said. Katsuragi nodded, pulling out his long sword. The blue line that ran across the blade glowed slightly. Katsuragi Rei raised his weapon high. She looked back down at Jinnai.

"... I will see you soon, senpai."

_[Katsuragi Rei used Blue Gear]_

_[Access: Insanity Streak]_

_[Corruption absorption in progress]_

_[...]_

_[...]_

_[...]_

_[Purge complete]_

She stood up, with the weight no longer a burden on her hands. It was painful, to have someone disappear in her arms. But she knew that this was for the best. They had to move on. They all had to.

"Are you alright, Saya?"

Katsuragi Rei asked, sheathing his sword. She looked up to the dark ceiling, wondering how did Jinnai see the sky through his madness. But maybe she did not need to know. Artists were people rarely understood, even in death.

"I will be. Don't worry about me, just focus on what you have to do."

She replied his query. There wasn't much anyone could do to ease the pain of what she had done. After all, this was what they came here to do in the first place. And though she may say those words, she knew that her tears would say otherwise.

"You're crying."

Tenryuu Shuusuke pointed out. She merely smiled and closed her eyes.

"... The sky is too damn bright."


	48. Chapter 48

A/N: Well, first off sorry for the long wait. I was busy with work as well as the influx of new games coming in.

Initially I wanted to polish this chapter up some more as it is one huge mess. It is extremely long, the longest chapter for this entire series thus far.

Anyway, I want to dedicate this chapter to my uncle who just passed away a few hours after I finished writing this chapter. He was a great man, living each day to his fullest (although acting like a really grown kid in the process) and I will miss him a lot. He encouraged me to write these stories and be more open to others. When I was studying in Canada for 7 years, he became like a fatherly figure to me and constantly looked out for my needs. A natural joker who loves ramen... I will be flying across the World to be at his funeral so I guess it will be some time before I'll be back to my computer to type.

Truth be told, I think my writing style will change because of this. Anyway, I will be posting my new drawings on my blog soon. I really need to make a proper blog...

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 48_

_Gluttony_

"Looks like we can continue on."

Yuri said, leading the group to the end of the giant hall where a second pair of large stone doors stood. Pushing them open the group stepped out into the same spiralling stairwell from before. The door closed by itself behind the group and suddenly faded into nothing, replaced by the stairwell that the group had climbed up before entering the giant hall. It was like the giant hall did not exist in the first place.

"... That hall was connected to Jinnai, and his madness. Now that his madness has been purged and Jinnai passing on, it simply disappeared."

Kai deduced though it was not necessary to say it out loud.

"Well, there's nowhere left to go but up."

Kyou pointed ahead of the group and everyone nodded in agreement, heading up the stairs. As the group walked up the stairs, Rei turned his head and glanced a look at Saya. After the fight, Saya was mentally and physically exhausted. Her emotional state must be a whole mess as well. But when he tried to ask her about it before she just brushed him off.

"I will be fine... just... just give me some time."

That was what she had told him. He was worried, but Kai reminded him that their main focus was to get rid of the madness of the SSS2 leaders. But even so, Rei wondered if it was alright to let the SSS2 fight their own leaders. He had decided to shoulder the burden of the fight on himself, but he had to conserve his energy. Conserve it for the inevitable end that awaited him at the end of these stairs.

"If I might ask, just what did you do with your sword?"

A voice shook him from his thoughts. He looked up and saw that Nakamura Yuri had fallen back in her steps to match his.

"You mean my weapon?"

He asked, to which Yuri nodded in reply.

"Yes, it isn't a natural type of weapon, is it? Truth be told, every single weapon that you and the SSS2 are using is waaay too ridiculous. Don't you guys fight with normal guns and swords any more? Not with exploding magical effects that belong in some magical kingdom in a closet."

Wasn't that a direct reference to a certain book?

"Well, the Afterlife World that you left had changed drastically."

Rei explained while he walked.

"When the SSS2 first came, they were no better than you were, Nakamura-san. They used weapons and swords like normal. However, unlike yourself, the SSS2 had been trapped here for decades."

Rei noted Kyou, who walked in front of him, had flinched slightly when he said that.

"With time, they came to understand more about this World and its systems. This eventually led to the discovery of 'essences'. Before the battle of Big Site, the SSS2 did not have any full understanding of what essences were, but rather they noticed that the dirt collected from areas where Shadows were defeated in contained extremely special properties. And weapons made from such rare materials would inevitably create a weapon that was more powerful than normal."

And the one who specialized in creating such weapons would be Musashi. Even up till now, the only person who could create such powerful weapons and fully utilize the essence properly was Musashi. The fitters of Guild would be able to create weapons with the essences but even then the weapons they could create were limited and they would be unable to draw out its full potential. Musashi was an enigma by himself, being able to create such powerful weapons that transcended human logic, not to mention he was the only one in the entire SSS2 able to do such things.

"I'm guessing that isn't all."

Yuri said, making Rei smile a little.

"Yes, it wasn't only due to time and the discovery of the 'essences' that allowed the SSS2 to progress their technology to this point. Two more factors had to occur in order to allow this all to happen."

"Two more?"

"Yes. One is something you know very well. The program."

That word struck strongly with everyone in the group.

"You mean... the Angel Program."

Yuri said, to which Rei nodded in reply, raising his own hand up where a strange blue circle appeared around his finger.

"Exactly. The 'Creator' is someone who created the program for unknown reasons but what is known is that the program is the ultimate tool of humans who have a grudge against the World and their lives. It allowed them to empower themselves beyond the limitations of what is physically possible, crossing into the realm of the mind and the imagination. In other words... it allows humans who access it to be... Gods."

"... And so they turn their fangs towards the God that made their lives miserable."

Yuri said but Rei shook his head.

"There is no God here. There may be a God who created everything, but this World was made by humans. Created by the raw emotions, despair, suffering and the dominant willpower of humans who desired a life after death. No, the SSS2 have not turned their fangs at a higher being... but rather they have bared their fangs at any and everything around them. That brings me to the last reason behind everything. The madness of war. Blinded by madness, they have lost their original goal and have begun their mad crusade to no end. It is due to that madness that drove them to create more powerful weapons, and in return the creation of such weapons fed the madness of this World and its inhabitants."

"We had no choice!"

Kyou snapped, stopping in her tracks and turning around to face Rei.

"We had no choice but to fight! Fight and fight continuously! Despite knowing how much madness it brought us! Despite the pain and suffering that we faced everyday growing exponentially with each passing battle, each comrade lost in battle, each time we saw the faces of despair on our friends and leaders! We knew what it brought us but we could not stop! ... Not now... not after coming so far."

Kyou's voice trailed off as she clenched her fist in frustration.

"... So all of you were aware of what was going on?"

Yuri raised an eyebrow.

"... Yes. We were all aware of it. The leaders even more so. But we fought on. Without fighting, we would become lost, without a cause, without a direction. The madness would swallow us whole. At least through fighting and aiming our guns at something... our lives had meaning."

"By doing so you've completely lost sight of what it means to be human."

"And that is the price we paid."

Tomoyo spoke up, stepping forward.

"Nakamura-san, I don't mean any disrespect, but what we do with our time is our of own doing and volition. It may be wrong, it may be the cause of this entire disaster, but to us it was the only way we knew the cope with living in this World. You may have set the ground for our fight here, you may have been the foundation for our story in this World, but that does not give you any right to judge us and to tell us what to do."

Tomoyo said firmly, staring straight into the eyes of Yuri. Yuri stared back to Tomoyo for the moment, before smiling.

"Hmph, Kids these days sure have a mouth to talk back to their elders with. But what you said is correct. I have no right to tell you what is right or what is wrong. I cannot judge you for you walk a path too different from mine. I guess it will be up to you guys to ensure that your lives and time here were not a waste."

Yuri said with a smirk, to which Kyou took it on as a challenge directed to her.

"It isn't."

* * *

The group reached the top of the stairs to what appeared to be-

"... Another one?"

Yuri raised her eyebrow as the group walked up to another pair of stone doors. This one, however, depicted men and women of an Ancient Roman style dining and feasting whilst the bottom of the door showed others, frail and thin, reaching out for the food above them but unable to touch.

"This one is... quite different from the previous one."

Matsushita commented, some sort of drool appearing at the side of his lips as his eyes locked onto the carvings of food on the door.

"Kyou... is this-"

"I know."

Kyou muttered, cutting Tomoyo in mid-sentence. Kyou did not want this to happen, but since they have come so far, they had no choice.

"Let's go."

Kyou said, taking the lead this time and pushing the doors open. The group stepped through the doors and once again the giant doors closed behind them, locking them in this new space. Which just so happens to be the cafeteria.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

The entire group was somewhat silent, their minds trying to register why they had just walked through a pair of stone doors on their way up the stairwell to hell and they had somehow ended up... in the school cafeteria?

"... WHAT THE HELL IS THIS? !"

The first to snap was Yuri. As expected of the tsukkomi of the group.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING TSUKKOMI? !"

No one in general. Just Yuri specifically.

"Oi, Yurippe, who are you yelling at?"

Hinata asked, letting Yuri snap back to reality.

"Eh?... I'm not sure, but somehow or rather I felt like someone just said something extremely rude about me."

Yuri muttered.

"HA HA HA HA!"

A suddenly roar of laughter echoed the cafeteria, putting everyone on edge as they instinctively reached for their weapons while looking for the source of the laughter.

"THIS IS RICH! THE LEADER OF OUR PREDECESSORS HERSELF IS SUCH A FIERY GIRL! GOOD!"

The voice boomed without any indication of who the owner of the voice is. But to the SSS2, they knew that voice extremely well.

"... It's him."

Kyou muttered.

"Yes, very good of you to recognize me, Fujibayashi."

The voice suddenly appeared behind them and the group turned around, coming face to face with-

"Ein."

_[Boss Fight]_

_[1st Division Leader: Assault]_

_[Ein Shrewerz]_

_[Alignment: Lawful Neutral]_

_[Type: Gluttony]_

_[Level: 90_

_HP: 800000_

_MP: 400000_

_Strength: S_

_Agility: B_

_Endurance: A_

_Luck: C]_

_[Weapons List:_

_- Desert Eagle .50 (Rank B)_

_- Bowie Knife (Rank A)]_

.

.

.

"-Is what I am sure you would like to do, but fighting can wait for now."

Ein suddenly said, breaking the tension in the air and throwing his hands up into the air.

"... What?"

Yuri was not sure if what she had heard was correct. Did this Assault division leader just say... he did not want to fight?

"You are incorrect in that line of thought, SSS leader-san."

Ein said, walking past the group and walking over to a table and pulling out a chair to sit on.

"We will have to fight eventually, it is 'that' kind of story. But as I said, fighting can wait. I'm sure your team needs some rest."

Ein pointed to the Angels in particular and Saya.

"We can fight without their help."

Yuri stated flatly.

"But you will put others into a mental conflict."

Rei butted in, looking in Kyou and Tomoyo's direction. The two who had served Ein loyally for decades were the closest to breaking down if this fight happened now. Yuri knew what that meant. It would be extremely troublesome for that to happen.

"So we shall take a break before we continue. Besides, I'm sure that you are very eager for some answers, that I can provide."

Ein smiled, crossing his arms as he awaited Yuri's answer. Yuri knew that Ein was playing with her but she had questions, that was for sure. Maybe it was best to take this break.

"... Alright. We shall have a temporary truce."

Yuri finally relented and Ein smiled.

"Good. Ah yes, if you're hungry, there's food available."

With a snap of his fingers, the tables were suddenly covered with bowls and dishes of food of every kind. Noodles, curry rice, ramen, omu-rice, grilled fish, steak, hamburgers, and every other type of food possible now lay out on the tables. Without missing a heart beat, Matsushita rushed to one of the tables and began to gorge on the food available

"Oi! Matsushita!"

Yuri tried to stop him but it was already too late as the large judo master had already finished three bowls of niku-udon.

"Don't worry, the food isn't poisoned or corrupted. It's just food."

Ein laughed.

_[Matsushita recovered 50 HP]_

_[Matsushita recovered 50 HP]_

_[Matsushita recovered 50 HP]_

"See?"

There wasn't anything to see in first place.

"Why don't we take our time and talk while your group recovers their strength? Didn't you want answers?"

Ein suggested but Yuri wasn't sure.

"We don't have time to of luxury."

She replied.

"Now now, don't be hasty. Each of these 'halls' as you see them exist in a separate place, built up by the program and a thick concentration of black essences. Therefore this place also exist on a separate time in space. A few hours in this hall may only last a second outside."

Ein explained. Yuri did not want to believe that but Rei tapped her shoulder.

"What he said is true. This place exist on a separate plane. Besides, even if you do not wish to rest, the rest of the group does."

Rei pointed to the rest of the group who were all exhausted from the running and the previous battle. Yuri closed her eyes. She did not want the group to relax too much. As this Ein person said before. They will have to fight eventually.

"Fine. We'll talk."

Yuri finally said, pulling out a chair and sitting down with her arms crossed.

"Take Saya and let her rest. Tend to her wounds as well."

Rei instructed one of the Angels who nodded and assisted in the task given to her.

"I'll help out."

Kai added, walking over to help. As the main people in the group sat down to talk, Ein grabbed a yaki-tori stick and bit into the meat.

"Now, where to begin."

"You can begin with explaining what is happening to the division leaders."

Rei stated, to which Ein smiled.

"Ah yes, the NPC spy. I was wondering when you would show your true colours."

"I'm only working to end this madness."

Rei replied back politely though most could tell he was quite tensed up.

"Yes, I know that. The madness of the SSS2 is something that those involved can no longer do anything to save themselves. Still, it is ironic to see that the salvation lies in the hands of the ones that we've spent so long trying to defeat. But enough about that. You wish to know about the division leaders, yes?"

To which everyone nodded their heads.

"Hmm... to begin, let me define what is a 'Division Leader'. Why are there 'Divisions', why are there 'Squads', why are we trained like 'Soldiers', why the 'SSS2' exists."

"Weren't they to better divide the abilities of the different people into a more efficient organization to fight against the Shadows?"

Kyou asked, to which Ein smiled.

"That is the simple answer. Yes. The SSS2 was created to put some organization into the different bands of rebels that fought against the system. But you see, Taeno Yuki, our Queen of Fort, wasn't the founder of the SSS2."

.

.

.

"What we call and see the SSS2 now is mainly due to Yuki's efforts and so it is not wrong to say she founded it. But the basis of what the SSS2 is was started by another. The 'True Successor' to the SSS name. However despite how talented or charismatic that 'Successor' may be, he was not fully able to unify the 'Rebels' who came to this World. In other words, besides the Successor's group of SSS, there came to exist splinter groups. Over twenty groups of these 'Rebels' could exist, all vying for control over one another for food, for resources, for power. And among these groups came Taeno Yuki. Yuki's group was small but strong, and Yuki's quick thinking managed to secure themselves as a power house back then as her group had discovered Guild first, therefore establishing themselves as the most technologically advanced group. Slowly, one by one, the other groups were either forced to submit and be absorbed into Yuki's group, or face annihilation. Even the 'True Successor' could not stop Yuki's insatiable thirst and drive for power and he disappeared from this World, his group absolved and integrated into Yuki's group. However Yuki was no fool. She knew that if she could not appease the other groups, she will face revolts, face strong oppositions and eventually another fight between the 'Rebels' would break out. She took on the name of the SSS2 for this newly formed unified group of 'Rebels' and assigned former leaders of different groups to become important 'advisers' to her. These 'advisers' would later dwindle in number to four and their positions would change to what we call 'Division Leaders'. However a 'Division' Leader is not anyone who can lead the group. If that were the case, anyone could replace Tatsuya for the seat of Diversion Division leader. 'Division Leaders' all had a certain aspect, a quality that no one else held. That aspect is called 'S.I.N'. 'Sovereignty, Insanity, Nihilism'. While it may seem like three different prospects, they are in fact inter-connected and that connection within a person is the aspect 'S.I.N'. Whether Yuki had purposely chosen people with this aspect, or whether it was by pure coincidence is unknown. But what is known is that those who hold onto these aspects can use the Program and its applications more efficiently than most normal people. Being closer to the Madness than most, able to draw out its power because they sat within its comfort, each of these reasons came together and resulted in what we now know as the 'Division Leaders', the 'Seven SINs'."

.

.

.

"The... Seven... SINs..."

Yuri repeated those words. It seemed simple but the weight of those words felt heavy and dense. Ein nodded as he picked up another stick of food to eat.

"Well, all of this does not really matter to any of you but it explains what is going on with the Division Leaders and what to expect from here on out."

"You... like Jinnai?"

Kyou asked. Ein tore the last piece of meat off the stick and tossed it back onto the plate.

"Exactly. The madness of the Division leaders isn't new, as I have stated before. Each leader has the aspect called 'S.I.N', myself included. Within the aspect of 'S.I.N' is the quality of 'Insanity'. Each Division leader has within them some form or measure of insanity. Most correspond to a deadly sin of the Church and also to our past."

"And you're 'Gluttony'."

Yuri stated, noting the food and the setting of this place.

"I'm a little different. Let me explain what the different qualities of 'S.I.N' are. 'Sovereignty' is the power of leadership. A large number of people hold this quality so if we actually chose leaders by this alone, we would have thousands of divisions, but what is important isn't just the quality to lead, but the right to. Sovereignty is the blood of nobility, the instinct to lead and rule over people. 'Insanity' is as I have stated before, the amount of madness the leaders have. When compared to other people within the SSS2, our level of 'madness' is almost ten times the normal amount. Sometimes even more than ten times. The last quality is 'Nihilism', or hatred towards God.

We know that this World holds no such thing as God, but we still imagine he is here. We imagine an enemy mainly because we need someone or something to direct all of our hatred and despair at. And the stronger our hatred, the more power we would seek to eventually kill God if we saw him. That would lead us to the program. By using the program, we would gain access to a ridiculous amount of power, almost to a cheating level. But while most people would simply use the program, we Division Leaders would fully submerse ourselves into it. Almost becoming part of the program itself. That connection to the program can be reflected in our SSS ranked weapons. Amongst the seven Leaders, I'm the least connected to the program as I do not have a specific weapon tied to the program and therefore have the least amount of corruption."

"Then you can join us and-"

"But I am not completely free from it."

Ein stopped Kyou in mid-sentence.

"I am a division leader, Kyou, that means I still have the aspect of 'SIN'. Anyway, as I said, I'm slightly different from the others. Since I have to least connection and corruption to the program, I can still converse normally like this to all of you and explain things, but I am merely living on borrowed time. My SIN has nothing to do with my past, rather I have it because I have a Caucasian appetite in an Asian World. Do you know how small your portions are?"

Ein grumbled, picking up another bowl of food and slurping it up. Even for a half European, his appetite is still too big.

"Erm... I still don't get it."

Hinata said, scratching his head over what was just said and that resulted in Yuri doing a karate chop on his head.

"Ow!"

"You need to be paying attention."

Yuri sighed, shaking her head.

"Do you remember what was said about how this War started?"

"Erm... not much?"

Another karate chop.

"Fine, let me explain it in point form.

1) After we left, the next 'Successor' took over

2) The program, being berserk, created a limitless number of Shadows

3) Due to the successor's inability to lead properly, multiple groups appeared

4) Taeno Yuki defeated all other groups and created the SSS2

5) In order to prevent herself being sole leader and create animosity amongst unsatisfied people, she appointed former leaders to a higher position

6) these former leaders and Taeno-san later became the Division leaders

7) Leaders are chosen because they have an extremely close affinity with the madness and the program, thus allowing them to utilize the madness and the program to a greater degree

8) Their madness is further augmented by their SSS ranked weapons

The reason behind this person, Ein, can talk to us properly for now, unlike the previous leader, is because he is not completely aligned to his 'SIN' and does not hold a SSS ranked weapon. Am I right?"

Yuri turned to Ein, who merely smiled.

"Who knows? What I have said is merely my own understanding of things."

"... So it is wrong?"

"No. It isn't wrong. But I would not say that it is right either."

"You're not making any sense!"

Yuri snapped, banging her fist down on the table. Ein merely looked at the leader of the SSS calmly.

"... And since when does anything in this World make sense? What I have just said is merely a fraction of what this madness holds. I have explained the beginning and the main causes, but there are more than one side to any story, this is no exception."

"..."

Yuri was starting to lose patience with Ein, and she was starting to feel extremely cautious of him. The things he had said, even if they were false, still spelt trouble. Yuri remembered Katsuragi Rei telling her about how everything changed within the SSS2 after the infamous battle of Big Site. To think that the SSS2 actually managed to revive that place, not once but twice. After the Battle of Big Site, the Division Leaders decided to use the Angel Program, thus equipping themselves with immense power to combat their new enemies, the NPCs. If the Division Leaders were chosen due to their affinity to the program, how did Taeno Yuki know who would be best suited as a leader if they only discovered the Program a few decades after the founding of the SSS2? Was it really coincidence? Or was there something else. Weapons.

The SSS ranked weapons were numbered to be 5 in total. If Jinnai did not have one, and neither does Ein, then the group will only face extremely difficult challenges ahead, far worse than the previous one and this battle. But the SSS weapons are said to further augment the madness of the Division leaders. If the division leader's power is proportion to their access to the program, which is the same as the amount of madness they contain, then the crazier they are, the more powerful they will get. And so the key would seem to be within the SSS ranked weapons. Just as these weapons were granted by the Program to the users, bestowing great power and madness, it in turn absorbs the user's darkness from their hearts to fuel the program. One big vicious cycle that has no beginning, and no end. The only way to break such a cycle is for someone else to interfere. Namely Yuri and her SSS, as well as the NPC wild card of Otonashi, Katsuragi Rei.

Yuri still did not know what that sword of his does, but whatever he did to Jinnai not only cleared up any corruption and madness, it made Jinnai pass on. It was hard to Yuri to describe it as the way Rei made Jinnai pass on did not feel forced, but rather... 'allowed'? Whatever that sword is, it was Otonashi's way of making the SSS2 pass on and getting rid of this mad war.

"Tell me one more thing, Ein Shrewerz."

Yuri said. Ein looked at Yuri for a moment, before putting down his cup.

"Fine, just this one. I would phrase whatever question you might have carefully if I were you. You might not get the answer you are seeking if you asked it wrongly."

Ein smirked. Katsuragi knew what Ein meant. It was what Takamachi Yukari and Senjougahara Shinobu had told him. If one were to ask a vague question, you would get a vague answer. Yuri must ask the question that will lead her to the answer that she must expect to hear. Yuri smirked, closing her eyes for the moment. It was a very long moment for the group, all eyes looking at Yuri intensely. Then, she opened her eyes.

"Alright... Tell me, Ein... What exactly are these weapons of the SSS2 and how are they linked to the seven 'SINs'?"

Yuri asked. That was kind of vague. Ein stared at Yuri and smiled.

"That's cheating. You asked two questions within one sentence. But alright, I'll humour you for this one. What you asked is correct. I have explained to you the beginnings and the cause. Now for the catalyst. The weapons."

Ein pulled out his gun and that put everyone on high alert. Ein eyed the way everyone reached for their weapons like this was some old Mexican stand-off, before putting his gun on the table.

"All of you are too jittery. Now where was I? Ah yes. Weapons. I'm sure you know how weapons are made."

"With dirt. It was my SSS's Chaa who discovered it."

Yuri replied simply.

"Yes, it was a technology discovered from your time. Yet with the SSS2, we discovered 'essences'. I'm sure that our dear NPC of a friend had already explained that much."

Ein pointed to Rei.

"Yes... he did."

Yuri replied. Was Ein trying to buy time? But this space was on a separate time line, time passed here would have almost no bearing on the outside. So what was he playing at?

"So by doing simple reasoning and deduction, we can tell what happened. You see, before the Battle of Big Site, we SSS2 fought with mere normal guns and swords. Nothing fancy. That was because we have yet to discover the Program. But it did not need to take a program to start the madness of the SSS2. After all, madness and insanity aren't artificial things to a human. They are natural and will occur naturally if certain conditions are met. This was made worse by the passive influences of the 'essences' which are basically condensed darkness and insanity of humans that were absorbed by the program and re-constructed as Shadows.

It's much like the cycle of cows and grass in the real world. Essences are the minerals and nutrients that are within the plants. Plants are eaten by cows, and humans in turn kill and eat the cows for the nourishments. Our waste products are then used to fertilize the soil which new plants can grow and thrive in. A complete cycle and one very much like ours here. Now comes along the Program. For the first time we are able to catch a glimpse of power. A power beyond anything. Who wouldn't want to go for super powers? I know I would. And so it was like striking a deal with the devil himself. We get power from him to fight his minions, and in return the power corrupts us and our corruption feeds the devil. What an even more interesting cycle, albeit one that less realistic."

That was a very dangerous cycle, but Yuri let Ein continue.

"Now how does all of this tie in with the seven 'SINs'? ... They don't."

"... Huh?"

Everyone stared at Ein in surprise. What did he just say?

"It may seem like everything is connected, but they are merely... how shall I put this... coincidences. By the way, Yuki hates that word. The SSS ranked weapons are made by Musashi, our master blacksmith. I had once thought that he had created the weapons after identifying the SINs within each division leader but-..."

Ein paused for a moment.

"... But that does not explain Kurogane Kou's weapon."

* * *

"Kurogane... Kou?"

Nakamura Yuri could not say she had heard that name before... but maybe she did. Did Otonashi mention that name?

"Kurogane Kou, the leader of the Sixth division, the Guardians."

Kyou explained, her eyes narrowing at Ein at the revelation of what he had just told them.

"And the sixth division is?"

"They are the strongest and most violent fighters of the SSS2. It would not be an exaggeration to say that each of them are as strong as an army of Assault division infantry soldiers."

Ein explained with a slight smile.

"And the leader of such a band of unrealistic fighters would be-"

"The strongest damn fighter you would ever see in this World."

Kyou muttered and Ein nodded in agreement.

"And that over-the-top cheat character type of person is the one closest to the Program, yet furthest. Her madness and insanity is on a whole different level, if you want to call it such."

Ein added, finishing up his tea and putting the cup back down.

"Well, I guess that's it for now. Shall we begin now?"

Everyone looked confuse at what Ein said.

"Begin? Begin wha-"

Before Kyou could finish her sentence, a loud explosion sound erupted, the table that they sat around suddenly flew up into the air and right in front of Kyou's face, was a fist-

"Access"

BOOM

Another fist flew forward, connecting with the first one in front of Kyou's face, sending a blast of air that sent everyone back. Standing there, with his fist smoking, Ein Shrewerz smiled at the one who deflected his attack.

_[Boss Fight]_

_[1st Division Leader: Assault]_

_[Ein Shrewerz]_

_[Alignment: Lawful Neutral]_

_[Type: Gluttony]_

_[Level: 90_

_HP: 800000_

_MP: 400000_

_Strength: S_

_Agility: B_

_Endurance: A_

_Luck: C]_

_[Weapons List:_

_- Desert Eagle .50 (Rank B)_

_- Bowie Knife (Rank A)] _

"You were always the one with the better judgement and reflexes... Tomoyo."

Ein smirked. Sakagami Tomoyo stood between Ein and Kyou, her fist badly bruised from countering the attack as the metal bar on her rail gauntlet retracted back to its loaded position.

"Tomo...yo?"

Kyou looked to her friend, confused by all of this.

"Get up Kyou. Ein's already started the fight and we need you to get ready to face whatever challenge is put before us."

Tomoyo said calmly, her gaze never leaving Ein.

"B-but... it's Ein... Our leader... Tomoyo... what are you doing?"

"I could ask you the same question."

Tomoyo turned angrily to Kyou.

"Have you been so kept up in your place that you've forgotten what this is all about? This is war, Kyou, nothing more, nothing less. A war that we started, a war that we entered, a war that we fought. Would you so easily give that up? Just throw that all aside after so long?"

"But-"

"Don't give me any 'buts'!"

Tomoyo shouted, grabbing Kyou by the collar.

"Your men, OUR men! Our SSS2 warriors! They are outside, fighting for their lives! Fighting because they believed in YOU! They want to believe that we can win this war! That we can end the madness that had plagued us for so long! Are you saying that everything back them was a lie? ! That you will betray the trust of so many simply because you cannot handle the truth? !"

That snapped at Kyou hard, and coupled with one good slap by Tomoyo, waking her sharply from her mental daze. Tomoyo was right. This is war. If anyone stood before them, they would just have to cut them down. Kyou understood that her heart was weak and easily manipulated by the thick concentration of essence. She lost her will too many times and always relied on Tomoyo to help her. She looked up to Ein. Ein Shrewerz, her leader for so many decades. She had to fight him. For the sake of the SSS2 who placed their faith in her. For the sake of this World that is crumbling due to the madness they created. For her own sake. To grow strong and face her own fears within the darkness of the abyss.

"... Truth? ... I can handle my own truths..."

Kyou got up to her feet. She would not know if she could handle fighting Ein, but she must. She will. For the sake of their lives, for the sake of those who depended on her. She will not fail them like she failed her sister and herself.

"You're getting too soft in your head."

Tomoyo muttered.

"Shut up. Don't put me in the same league as yourself."

Kyou snapped back, reaching into her pouch to pull out some rocks as both Tomoyo and herself readied themselves to face Ein with their backs against one another.

"Just like old times?"

Tomoyo asked. Kyou smiled back.

"Just like old times."

* * *

_[Boss Fight] _

_[1st Division Leader: Assault]_

_[Ein Shrewerz]_

_[Alignment: Lawful Neutral]_

_[Type: Gluttony]_

_[Level: 90_

_HP: 800000_

_MP: 400000_

_Strength: S_

_Agility: B_

_Endurance: A_

_Luck: C]_

_[Weapons List:_

_- Desert Eagle .50 (Rank B)_

_- Bowie Knife (Rank A)] _

**VERSUS**

_[1st Division Vice Leader: Assault (Former)]_

_[Overall Commander SSS2 Army]_

_[Fujibayashi Kyou]_

_[Alignment: Lawful Neutral]_

_[Level: 76_

_HP: 50000_

_MP: 45000_

_Strength: C_

_Agility: B_

_Endurance: C_

_Luck: B]_

_[Weapons List:_

_- Books (Rank: C~A)_

_- M-16 Assault Rifle (Rank: C)_

_- Dagger (Rank: D)]_

_[1st Division Special Squad Leader: Assault (Former)]_

_[SSS2 Army Vice Commander / Special Forces Squad Leader: Bear Squad]_

_[Sakagami Tomoyo]_

_[Alignment: Chaotic Good]_

_[Level: 72_

_HP: 65000_

_MP: 34000_

_Strength: A_

_Agility: C_

_Endurance: B_

_Luck: C]_

_[Weapons List:_

_- Kinetic Rail Gauntlets (Rank A)_

_- Iron boots (Rank C)]_

"Let me join in as well. I will pay back the debt I owe to you, Kyou."

_[5th Division Vice Leader: Intelligence (Former)]_

_[SSS2 Army Special Tactical Assault Squad Leader: Shadow]_

_[Testarossa Iris]_

_[Alignment: Neutral]_

_[Level: 65_

_HP: 42000_

_MP: 60000_

_Strength: D_

_Agility: A_

_Endurance: D_

_Luck: B]_

_[Weapons List:_

_- Shinobi-gata (Rank B) X 2_

_- Kunai (Rank B) X ? ?_

_- Shuriken (Rank C) X ? ?_

_- Bombs (Rank C) X ? ?_

_- Five-Seven Pistol (Rank C)]_

"Are you sure you can handle it?"

Kyou asked, her tone dropping the slight hint of sarcasm.

"Hmph, There's nothing that you can handle that I can't."

Iris replied.

"Cut the chatter, here he comes!"

Tomoyo shouted and the three immediately jumped out of the way as Ein suddenly lunged forward, bringing his large fist down into the ground, destroying it was causing a large crater the size of a truck to form where his hand crashed into.

"As I expected, his skills has been augmented by the black essence."

Kyou muttered.

"Then we should step in as well-"

"No!"

Kyou shouted, stopping Yuri in mid-sentence.

"We will handle this. He is our leader, the one who brought us up. As he isn't completely consumed by the program, we owe it to him to grant his last wish... to go down fighting as a human being."

Yuri kept quiet at Kyou's word, pausing to think of the situation, before she sighed, holstering back her pistol.

"Fine, but it will be up to you guys to clean up any mess."

Yuri finally said, crossing her arms. Kyou smiled and turned back to Ein, who had managed to pull his hand out of the ground. Kyou's eyes met with Tomoyo's and Iris's. The two were ready.

"Right, let's do this."

Kyou said as the three girls reached for their weapons. In unison their hands gripped onto their own special weapons and shouted-

**" "ACCESS" "**

_[Access: Angel Program (Rei / Zero) ]_

_[Administrator rights detected]_

_[Unlocking full access rights]_

_[System Overdrive Initiated]_

_[Power Levels: 4000%]_

_[All Skills unlocked]_

_[All Skills upgraded to Rank S]_

_[All Stats upgraded by one Rank]_

"Let's go!"

The three girls charged in, each of them now wielding more power than before in thanks to the Program that they were given.

* * *

One hour Before

"Here, take these."

Katsuragi Rei told Kyou as the group headed up the stairs, passing her a bottle of what seemed to be plain coloured pills.

"Huh? Is this some sort of energy pill? Did you take these from Yuuko? You know you can't trust that nut-job with anything, especially if it's to go down your throat."

Kyou said back to him, to which Rei simply laughed.

"As if I would hold onto something so dangerous. No, these pills are to help you with your connection to the program."

"? !"

Kyou stared at Rei and then to the pills in her hand as though they were the very elixir of eternal youth. Though in another sense such elixirs would be useless to the SSS2 at this moment.

"W-why?"

"Right now, the SSS2 stands at an extreme disadvantage against anything within this tower. If you continue to use your programs at this rate, you'll be consumed by the madness once more. I've managed to clear it up once for all of you but that is only a temporary solution. Something akin to a clean sweep of your statuses."

"You helped us? ... You mean during that battle in the Forest?"

Kyou remembered the time during the Forest battle, when they were trying their hardest to defend the walls. The program was their greatest weapon, as well as their greatest weakness. Kyou had over-used her program back then and it drove her into despair. Her mental state was weak and still is up to now, but she had sensed that something had helped her during that battle to hold out against the Shadows until the reinforcements from Guild had arrived. So it was Rei who helped them.

"These pills would not only protect you from the madness, but it will also implant some essences from myself into you, thus allowing you to have administrative rights to the program."

Rei explained. Kyou looked down at the pills sitting in her hand. They looked so harmless yet the potential they held within them was too great.

"Why give it to us?"

Kyou asked.

"Didn't you want to be the one to end the madness?"

Rei smiled at her question and shook his head.

"I cannot be the one. Or at least I am not the correct person to do it. Call my programming buggy, but I seem to believe that it would be best to allow the ones with the most connections to the affected leaders to fight them. This is not only due to the fact that the person is more familiar with the opponent and therefore will know their weaknesses, but it also stems from the fact that... humans need closure on their own darkness. I cannot be the one to force them when they themselves have not fulfilled their last wish. This is the only choice left... because it is the right choice to make."

* * *

Present

"But still... isn't this too much?"

Nakamura Yuri asked, watching the fight between the four over-powered youngsters explode into unrealistic proportions. Kyou unleashing a storm of razor sharp pages from her books, Ein dodging that only to have his back exposed to Iris, who appeared from thin air behind him with her twin swords drawn and poised to strike. Ein twisted his body in mid-air, sending his leg arcing through the air and into Iris but Iris disappeared in a cloud of smoke the point of contact, making Ein open for Tomoyo, who lunged in with her fist, sending a powerful punch into Ein's body. Ein was sent flying through the air and back into the ground where a second large crater from formed from the impact.

"I believe in their strength."

Rei simply said, watching the battle closely.

"... But to let them go at it at full strength from the start. You're breaking the basic rule of shounen type manga fights. Shouldn't they power up bit by bit as the enemy grows stronger near the end or something?"

"Then that would take too long. Besides, I do not think that they would want it like that either."

Rei stated with a slight smile.

"They are the type that have suffered a long time, trying to get power constantly. They have grown tremendously throughout their entire time spent in this World, both physically, and mentally. If they still wish to grow stronger, they would have to go find some dragon balls, travel with a perverted hermit, disappear for six more years or sit under a waterfall for several months to meditate."

"... You just broke very strong walls there with that statement."

"I'm that kind of guy. My very existence is an affront to any type of wall there is."

"... That's scary."

"It is."

.

.

.

"Well, this is as much as I can do. So all that is left is up to them."

* * *

"Tomoyo!"

Kyou shouted to her friend, who jumped back from the fray and nodded.

"Okay!"

Kyou reached into her pouch and pull out three small notebooks before throwing them into the air.

"Access: Sub-routine: Creation. 800mm Round!"

The books flew up and started to glow as they merged together, melting into one giant massive mortar round. Tomoyo ran towards the round as it started to fall back down to the ground. With one strong slam of her foot, Tomoyo jumped high into the air to meet with the giant mortar round. She gave the round a slight kick with her foot, making it turn to face the ground before she cocked back her arm. The rail bar in her gauntlet reset itself, gathering up energy.

"HA!"

Tomoyo threw her punch at the round, igniting the powder inside and sending the round blasting towards the ground where Ein was being held down by Iris.

"Iris!"

At Kyou's call, Iris smiled and disappeared into thin air, leaving Ein there to face the giant round. But Ein would not go down so easily.

"TOO EASY!"

Ein shouted as he readied his arm. Just before the round could hit him, Ein threw his arm forward, punching the round straight on.

"Wha-"

The blast of the round against Ein's punch erupted in a large explosion that nearly threw everyone off their feet.

"This is nuts! What does he think he's doing? ! Hitting a round straight-on like that?"

Yuri demanded, shielding her face from the blast.

"He is no fool. Look."

Rei pointed. At the spot where Ein was, the dust cloud cleared slightly, revealing that Ein was still in one piece. And so was the round.

"Kyou, Tomoyo, your attack was good... but didn't I always tell you guys never to leave your own things behind? The enemy might simply grab it... AND USE IT AGAINST YOU!"

Ein suddenly threw the round at Kyou and the rest.

"You forgot something, so I'll simply return it to you."

Before the ground could reach Kyou, she threw five books into the air.

"THOUSAND WORD SHIELD!"

The books exploded into pages and formed a giant wall between Kyou and the shell, causing the shell to impact and explode against the shield instead of her and the others. But the sheer magnitude of the blast from the 800mm round was enough to cause a storm of violent winds that nearly threw everyone off.

"Tch, I knew he was strong... but not this strong!"

Kyou cried out as the blast started to burn through her paper shield.

"He's being augmented by the program!"

Tomoyo stated, taking cover behind Kyou's paper shield.

"Thanks for the info though I can bloody hell see that for myself!"

"You asked!"

The blast subsided and Kyou lowered her shield, the pages fluttering down to the ground after being released from Kyou's skill. Kyou stood up and looked grimly at the current situation. Ein had monstrous strength, one that could rival Takamachi Yukari of the Guardians, and that was really saying something. Takamachi Yukari was by far the strongest person in the entire organization despite not looking like she could lift more than a box of paper. Ein, on the other hand, was as strong as he looked, and he looked very strong.

"What's wrong? Is that the best you three can do? I guess even though us division leaders had placed so much hope in you guys, you can only amount to so much."

Ein gloated.

"Why you-"

"Iris, don't. He's only trying to edge you on."

Tomoyo said. This was bad. The usually calm ice queen, Iris, was starting to be affected by Ein. Ein was a leader not only due to his power and skills even without help from the program, but he was a leader because he had a way of controlling people in the way he wants them to. The way he twist and manipulates the actions and thoughts of others was extremely dangerous. Every single Division and Squad leader each had their own ways of asserting their own wills and displaying their unique form of leadership. Yuki had the presence of a Queen and her very actions made people to obey her word. Kenji of Intelligence gathered people of strong wills and minds, using his silent thoughts guide his division. Yuuko could lead due to her character that simply draws people to her.

The squad leaders like Shinobu worked hard to be accepted by her squad but the loyalty she is given is second to none. Yamato could lead due to her skills and prowess. Kyou led the troops because she had the ability to point people in the right direction. Ein, however, was a different story. Everything he did, everything he said, could direct the flow of things in a certain manner, whether he wanted it to or not. He was a man that could change someone so calm, so stoic as Iris, to the point of agitation and even rage. He was a puppeteer, pulling the strings that made them move to his tune. But Ein listens to Yuki. Yuki, the only person who isn't affected by Ein's strange ability. Kou as well though Kou was not affected by anything most of the time. But Ein's ability to lead in such a manner was not related to his true power. His strength. Everything about Ein made no sense. He had some of the most amazing and absurd abilities in the entire organization but none of them were consistent or even related to one another. He was like a jigsaw of mismatched pieces that could still make out a picture despite not being put together correctly.

"As expected of Tomoyo, analysing even in the midst of battle. But that would prove to be your downfall."

Ein's voice suddenly appeared behind Tomoyo.

"Shi-"

_[Access: Over-clocking EX]_

Before she could bring up her hands to block the blow, Ein's fist came flying at her, hitting her straight in her abdomen and sending her flying. Despite her using her Over-clocking ability to the maximum, she still could not match Ein's speed and power. Ein appeared above Tomoyo while she was still in mid-air, twisting his body and sending his foot down on her, causing her to crash straight into the ground with a force of a few tonnes.

"Gah!"

Tomoyo spat out blood, sprawled on the ground in the crater caused by the attack. Her internal organs were completely crushed. Pain was searing throughout her body.

"You think too much, Tomoyo. Analyse too much, to the point where you lose focus in the midst of battle and trying to anticipate the opponent's next move, or any weaknesses that can be exploited. That is why you aren't suitable to be the vice leader of Assault. You lack the one thing that a leader needs. Instincts."

Ein said, stepping back as Kyou and Iris rushed over to their friend's side. Iris standing guard as Kyou tried to heal Tomoyo.

"You may have held onto your battle instincts long ago, but you abandoned them, became afraid of what jumping into decisions without thinking them through might lead to. What are you being so afraid of, Tomoyo? That you might go back to your wild days and only cause pain for those around you? That without thinking and weighing your options you might come to an unfortunate ending where everything you love would die? Tell me, Tomoyo, what do you fear?"

Ein asked, staring down hard at Tomoyo who could barely sit up, coughing up more blood despite Kyou trying to heal her the best she could.

"Ein! Enough! You don't understand what Tomoyo had to go through!"

Kyou snapped at Ein, who merely shrugged.

"Of course I don't. I'm not her and neither have I ever heard of her sad tale in life. I have no obligation to even try to understand her plight so spare me any of your sad stories."

Ein said but then his eyes noticed that someone was missing.

"So I'll spare you any more than you have to."

Iris's voice spoke up from behind Ein. He turned around just in time as Iris brought her twin swords down on him. The blade cut through his body but not deep enough to sever. How could this happen? She was right in front of him the entire time. Did she use the opportunity of him focusing on Tomoyo and Kyou so much that she could escape his gaze so easily?

"Tch, too light."

Iris muttered, spinning her body around and bringing her blades around for another attack but Ein blocked that blow.

"Iris, you sure know how to interrupt a conversation. Don't you know that it's rude to do such a thing?"

Ein asked, showing no sign of pain from the wound she inflicted on him.

"I am not the type to take my time, wasting it on useless talk."

Iris simply replied, to which Ein smiled back.

"That's more like it. A shame you work for that useless idiot Kenji."

"Don't you dare insult my leader."

Iris growled, pushing her blades harder.

"Oh? Hit a nerve, have I? That isn't good, for the ice queen of Intelligence to get so hot headed about something."

"Silence."

Iris tried to push but Ein used one burst of strength, throwing her off. Iris quickly recovered and charged in for another attack. Ein managed to dodge and threw a punch at her but his fist only hit air as Iris disappeared and reappeared by the side, swinging her sword at him.

"Oi oi oi! This ninja thing is too unfair!"

Ein cried out, jumping out of the way.

"This is still too easy for you."

Iris muttered, twisting her body and using her downward momentum to swing her leg towards his head but he grabbed her foot and a smile crept up on his lips.

"True."

He used his monstrous strength and threw Iris but being nimble, Iris recovered quickly and the moment she landed on the ground, she charged once more at Ein. While Iris and Ein continued to exchange blows with one another, Kyou focused her attention on Tomoyo. Using her connection to the program, Kyou used her books as a form of regenerative power, healing Tomoyo by placing her book on Tomoyo's abdomen and gently applying pressure while the book glowed a dim light.

"Come on, Tomoyo, you're tougher than this."

Kyou muttered, trying to speed up the healing process. Tomoyo coughed out more blood, wincing at the pain that was coursing throughout her body.

"K-Kyou..."

"Don't talk so much. Focus on recovering."

"E-Ein..."

"Iris is dealing with him."

Kyou reassured her.

"..."

Tomoyo lay there, her eyes slightly swelling up and it did not escape Kyou's notice.

"... Was it what he said? About you over-thinking?"

"... He... is right..."

Tomoyo muttered, shutting her eyes close.

"I... have only... tried to run... away... Afraid... to use... that same strength... Afraid... of what it... might bring."

"But it wasn't your fault!"

Kyou snapped at Tomoyo but the second in command did not see eye to eye with Kyou.

"What if... the entire reason... he had to die... was because I mistrusted... myself?"

SLAP

Tomoyo lay there, slightly stunned. Kyou's hand stung from that slap.

"This is not you, Tomoyo. Sure, there were times when life can throw you a curve ball. There are times when there will be challenges that may seem insurmountable. But that does not mean you can simply give into despair! The Tomoyo I knew would never let something like that get to her! Instincts? You were never one to be outside of instincts! You had always acted on impulse, be it the last life or this. Honestly, you do nothing but make trouble for everyone."

"..."

Tomoyo stayed silent, her eyes still showing uncertainty. Her resolve was shaken so easily? Kyou did not want to see her friend like this.

"DAMN IT TOMOYO! PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER!"

**SLAP**

Kyou gave her friend another one, this one harder than the last. But in it held Kyou's frustrations, her pain of seeing her friends like this, and with it came her hope that it may snap Tomoyo out of whatever daze she had gotten herself into.

"Weren't you the one who kept nagging at me for losing myself? Weren't you the one who had always stood strong for everyone? What are you going to do if you lose it as well? ! Instincts or not, haven't we made it this far already? ! The past doesn't matter! It doesn't matter to us any more! We cannot go back! We cannot change anything! So the least we could do is to change our present and our future! YOU SAID THAT YOURSELF! SO WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING NOT LISTENING TO YOUR OWN DAMN ADVICE? !"

Kyou snapped at Tomoyo, tears streaking down her cheeks as she tried to get her friend back. Her rival in life, her friend in death, her closest comrade. And for Tomoyo, it was the same. Kyou was her rival in life for love, her best friend in death, the only person she would trust her back to. And to see her friend in such a state. Was this how Kyou felt each time Tomoyo had to beat some sense into her? Kyou was always weaker in her mental state despite putting up a big front. In terms of insecurity, Kyou was worse off. Kyou always held doubts within her heart, was always insecure about decisions made and never had the resolve to make her own voice be heard. Everything was a front.

Tomoyo, on the other hand, had little to hide. Baring her emotions constantly, she acted on emotions and impulse. Her decisions were sometimes calculative but she never relied on it too often. Once her path was decided, she would go all-out to make it happen, even to the point of losing sight of all others. She had decided to change all of that in this World. After witnessing what her impulsive nature had caused, what death and pain it had brought, she wanted to throw it all away, wanted to start anew, wanted to change. But was it really necessary? Kyou had not changed since coming here yet she rose through the ranks to become the vice commander. Despite all of her worries, her insecurities, Kyou still held on strong. It wasn't the worries that made Kyou strong or weak. It was the resolve to accept her own weaknesses that made Kyou who she is now.

"... I'll.. follow... my own... advice."

Tomoyo muttered, her eyes showing her solid resolve once more.

"Tomoyo..."

"Your breath... stinks."

"Well, at least it's better than your skin."

"Your slap... tickles."

"Shut it, mountain gorilla girl... Can you stand?"

Kyou asked, lifting her book off Tomoyo. Tomoyo still felt pain in her stomach, but it was considerably less painful than before. She nodded and Kyou offered her hand that Tomoyo took. Using her strength, Kyou hauled Tomoyo to her feet, letting the two old friends meet eyes to eye.

"It's time to get back into the fray, Iris cannot hold out on her own much longer."

"Ah, I know."

**BOOM**

Just as they turned around, the body of Iris flew towards them and slammed into the ground.

"Iris!"

The former vice commander of the Intelligence Division was badly injured, cuts and bruises everywhere but she still managed to struggle to her feet.

"That guy... is a monster..."

Iris muttered, spitting out a tooth that came loose. She struggled to her feet and was helped up by Tomoyo.

"Oh... Tomoyo... get your head back into the game?"

Iris asked to which Tomoyo simply smiled.

"I'm back, alright."

"... Good."

Iris nodded, turning her attention back to Ein who, despite having so many wounds and tears over his body, did not seem to be any weaker or even fazed by his injuries.

"We have to face that monster. Now."

Iris said, her expression actually showing her seriousness in this matter.

"Oi oi, don't you guys be so serious about all of this. After all, it's just the beginning."

Ein laughed, picking up a stick of yaki-tori from the table he stood next to. At that sight, Iris suddenly dashed forward.

"AS IF I'LL LET YOU!"

She shouted, drawing her swords for the strike but Ein side-stepped the attack and his open hand grabbed Iris's face, lifting her small body up.

"You need to be patient, Testarossa. Things in life are meant to be enjoyed."

He smirked before slamming Iris into the ground, causing the floor to crack.

"Iris!"

"Now now, don't be hasty. It'll soon be your turn."

Ein smirked as he bit into the meat. At that moment, everything seemed to stop. The very air became still and the entire cafeteria seemed to emit a sense of decay.

_[Program: Initialized]_

_[Corruption level: 800%]_

_[Engaging DEMON protocol]_

_[Beelzebub; Activate]_

_'I am the prize of wealth, the end of greed._

_I am the waste of need, the demon within all._

_To push men beyond the bounds of nature, to indulge beyond satisfaction._

_I raise the expectations of men, fuelling the emptiness of hearts._

_I am the many headed beast of the underworld, _

_I shall devour all and above._

_I am the great storms and thunderous disasters, swallowing everything in my path._

_I am he who divides societies, feed the cruel and wicked,_

_while I shall starve the poor and wretched._

_I am the one that shall empty farms and crops, _

_change fertile soil to barren wastes._

_Over excessive is my calling._

_Waste is my creed._

_I am the great evil that takes in all others._

_I am Beelzebub._

_I am Gullia._

_I am Gluttony.'_

_[Boss Fight]_

_[Incarnation of Gluttony: Beelzebub]_

_[Level: 150_

_HP: 1000000_

_MP: 890000_

_Strength: SS_

_Agility: B_

_Endurance: S_

_Luck: B]_

Looking at this madness, Kyou could only say one thing.

"... This is bad."

* * *

The word 'bad' was usually an understatement used in various places and events in an effort to form some sort of tangible reasoning to describe how serious or unfortunate the place or event may be. It, however, is an exceptionally broad term and would be unable to convey the proper emotions within the given context unless under certain circumstances when the said context is strong enough to prove the plight or difficulty of a certain place or event is indeed something of a disagreeable nature. As such, the term 'bad' is in itself, an unusable term. In the current case of the event of our main group is facing, the term 'bad' is very much unusable as 'bad' is not enough to convey the true aspect of what the situation is currently detailing. If one were to gauge on a level of one to ten on how 'bad' the situation is for the group, one would undoubtedly be unable to quantify beyond the number ten.

Seeing as how the group had only reached the second of the many division leaders, it is truly hard to imagine how they would fare even should they manage to defeat this division leader, who has stated himself to be one of the weakest of the division leaders. Whether he is truly weak or not is a separate issue to address and would undoubtedly cause much debate throughout the many lives of people both in the story, and those reading this said story. Of course, whether you believe what this division leader said is truly up to each person and no one can fault another on the differences of their opinions. Given the nature of the entire setting and what facts were given, it should be understood that nothing truly makes any sense in the first place. However if one were to slowly come to their own conclusion, it would make more sense than simply trying to conform to a set given explanation.

"And your point is?"

"That is the point that those three have to figure out in order to cross this challenge. All of the cards have been shown. All hints given. It is now up to them to figure out how to defeat the enemy... and why."

"... You make no sense whatsoever."

Katsuragi Rei only smiled at that comment.

"I don't need to."

Nakamura Yuri narrowed her eyes at the enigmatic NPC. She honestly did not trust him but since this was Otonashi and Kamiya's way of finishing the fight, she guessed she would allow him to do what he must... to a certain extent.

"... But are you certain that you will not aid them? Even if it is to allow them to find the meaning to their own lives and deaths... this is too much."

And indeed it was too much. Kyou raised up her shield made of pages to no avail as the deformed division leader charged straight through it. Tomoyo stood right behind the shield and the moment the large creature burst through, her punch connected straight on with his head. The shock of the impact caused the ground the crack but despite Tomoyo stopping most of the force, she was still being pushed back, her heels digging trenches into the concrete floor. Iris jumped onto the back of the creature and stabbed her swords down but the hide was too thick and to make matters worse, the hide started to 'eat' the blades. Iris was forced to abandon one of her swords and jumped away.

This... creature, that was once the 1st division leader, was a large beast that took on a form closely akin to that of the Greek legend's Minotaur, its large muscular arms that supported its two powerful hind legs. Its large build was like a bull's, albeit one that came out of a horror show. With horns twisting out from some parts of its body, and the rest of its thick dark hide covered with what seemed to be... mouths. With gnashing teeth that hungered, salivated for flesh and blood, the creature was truly a beast that lived for food. Almost nothing was left that remained of their beloved division leader. Nothing... but the SIN.

"So what exactly is SIN?"

Yuri asked.

"Didn't Ein explain it already?"

"But as an NPC-... no, as a program administrator, what do you think?"

Rei looked to Yuri with a slightly amused look.

"Hmm... so you noticed?"

"Hmph, it was quite obvious. You did not bother to ask anything when this Ein guys was explaining You know something, don't you?"

At that, Rei simply smiled, turning his gaze back to the battle that still raged on.

"SIN... Ein may be right, but he isn't completely correct. There is a certain connection between the Division leaders and that connection is a certain error within the system. That error causes the program to go berserk, but at the same time allows the user to have greater access to the program. The more they use the program, the larger the error, and the larger the possibility of going berserk due to the absorption of madness. While I do believe that there is another term for such an error, Ein isn't wrong to say that it is... 'Sin'."

"'Sin'... And the weight upon that is the despair of life."

Yuri muttered, her fist balling up. This was truly much harder to deal with. Too many factors, too many details. Would she truly be able to clear the madness?

"Don't worry about it too much. All we can do... is to correct their paths and let them pass on. That is all."

"And how exactly are we suppose to do that?"

Rei only chuckled at her question.

"With a method you already know too well by now, Nakamura-san."

"... I can only hope that that is all we have to do."

* * *

A beast without limits, a beast that can never be satisfied. A bottomless pit. Words that could be used to describe Ein. When he was still their division leader. How ironic that what they called him back then was what he was right now. A raging beast. A Minotaur A hideous, mutated and overly powered Minotaur, but a Minotaur nonetheless. Iris threw some of her shuriken at Ein but those... mouths on his hide simple swallowed them whole. She transformed her pages into spears and threw them at Ein but only to have the same result occur. To make matters worse...

_[Beelzebub heals fifty points]_

_[Beelzebub heals fifty points]_

_[Beelzebub heals fifty points]_

Each time he 'swallowed' an attack, he would simply regenerate himself.

"If range attacks don't work... then I'll use close range."

Tomoyo said before rushing in. Side-stepping the first swipe, turning around on her hell before ducking under the second swipe, Tomoyo cocked back her fist right under in front of the beast's face.

"HA!"

She sent a straight punch into the face of the beast. But... the punch barely did anything.

"Tomoyo! Get back!"

Kyou shouted and Tomoyo jumped back just in time before the giant beast brought down its claw onto her.

"That was reckless."

Kyou muttered, stepping up next to Tomoyo.

"Reckless... but it worked."

Tomoyo smirked, pointing out the bruise and cuts from the punch she gave it. Tomoyo certainly did injure the beast, but-

"... It's too slow and ineffective."

Iris commented.

"It works, unlike your attacks."

Tomoyo shot back.

"..."

"If you have any other bright ideas, I would love to hear it, but for me, even if it is just an inch in overcoming this obstacle... it is still an inch forward. For that, I will continue to push with everything I have. That inch will soon give way to a metre, and that metre will give way to a kilometre and so on. Just because the immediate result does not show anything promising, does not mean we should simply abandon it."

"... I don't need a lecture."

"You need a brain check."

"Enough! Both of you! We need to focus at the problem at hand."

Kyou snapped, forcing the two to stop their minor argument.

"Since Tomoyo's attacks can deal some damage, we'll continue with that strategy. Iris, attack from the sides and try to find its weakness. I'll provide back-up."

Iris and Tomoyo looked at Kyou and nodded.

"Alright."

"Let's do this."

Tomoyo charged straight at the beast, dodging its swipes and throwing her punches when she could get in close. When a claw gets close, Kyou used her pages to form a shield and deflect the on-coming attack though not all attacks could be deflected completely and Tomoyo was forced to jump out of the attack, dodge, and jump back into the fray. Iris, on the other hand, ran along the sides of the battle, using her keen eye to look out of anything out of the ordinary. That was when she noticed something. Within one of the 'mouths' on the back, a large orange sack.

"... That's gross."

Iris muttered but figured that it must be something important. She took her kunai and threw it at the sack, only to have the other 'mouths' shoot tentacles from within, covering the sack from her attack.

"... Now that's really gross. But bingo."

But just like before, even in this corrupted form, Ein was still a master of different skills. Too many unusual skills that had no connection to one another yet still managed to work together. Mouths on the hide? Tentacles that can sprout out from said mouths? And a sack that obviously looks like a weak point though will probably explode into something hideous? Right, it's still Ein, even in this gross form.

"... It's really gross."

Iris muttered to no one in particular. Her eyes peered to the side. Kyou and Tomoyo were still drawing the main head's attention and they were obviously too focused on that as well.

"... I'll deal the final blow then."

Iris said as she drew more kunai. Her enemy now would be those tentacles and mouths. As she said before. Gross. She primed her kunai. Throwing them at the other 'mouths' that did not contain the sack, the flying knives stabbed into the tentacles, causing the tentacles to retract from protecting the sack. Iris rushed forward whilst throwing more knives at the different 'mouths' and while her attacks were doing nothing against the tentacles, they were distracting them. Using this chance, Iris rushed straight for the 'mouth' with the sack and jumped up, drawing her sword and bringing it down on to the sack, stabbing it.

_[Beelzebub receives 5000 damage]_

The creature roared out in pain from the damage, thrashing about as Iris tried to hang on. But her eye caught something. The sack. There was something inside.

"... Time to get out."

She muttered, reluctantly releasing hold of her sword just as the sack exploded, releasing thousands of black buzzing... things... That can only be-

"G!"

Kyou screamed out. For those who do not know what 'G' is, it is-

"DON'T YOU DARE SAY IT'S NAME!"

... It's one of those small black, skitterish things that are hard to kill yet found all around your normal household. Usually it should be covered in mosaics so in this case, let's put some mosaic on that whole swarm of 'G'.

"THAT MAKES IT WORSE!"

Indeed it does, but that does not change the fact that the swarm of 'G' was now acting like a separate entity, attacking Iris like a swarm of bees attacking the one responsible for disturbing its nest. Only it wasn't bees but 'G'.

"DON'T SAY ANYMORE!"

Right right. Iris dodged the initial attack from the swarm, rolling to one side. She looked back to the back of the beast. The hole that had the sack which she burst was sealed up shut and from another one of those 'mouths', came another sack.

"... You have got to be kidding."

She muttered before her eyes caught sight of the swarm coming back for her.

"No time to rest."

Iris dodged the swarm once more before trying to turn her attention back onto the sacks. Maybe she could try it again.

"Don't be an idiot, Iris! We're doing this all together!"

Kyou shouted, making Iris turn.

"... I don't need help."

"You need it! Every single one of us needs to combine our strengths together! Otherwise we wouldn't be able to hold out for long! Stop being so stubborn and just ask for help when you clearly need it!"

Iris took a slight pause. Help? She never needed help. She was always alone. In life, and in death. That strong solitude was what made her strong, was what showed her power. It was through her own solitude that she was approached by Kenji to join his division, rising through the ranks to become the second in command. But... these past few days made her think. Solitude... the isolation of the Intelligence division was what caused such large number of casualties during D-day. The isolation that the intelligence division themselves created had in turn made them the prime target for the enemy to trap them and hunt them down like animals to the slaughter. And Ein... Ein Shrewerz. Though he may be the leader of the Assault division and lacking an SSS ranked weapon, he was still a powerful foe. And a sharp one at that too. Throughout the entire fight the three of them had with Ein, the leader of the Assault division had been simply pushing aside their efforts without effort but all the while he was lecturing them. Teaching them. Letting them grow.

Was it because Ein wanted them to defeat him? Or was it something else? Ein was always one who believed in tough love, in forcing others to adapt, to grow. That was something that Iris respected him for, as well as hates him for. Naive. Not everyone can grow, not everyone can learn. But... working together. Iris had stood at the top of her division for so long that she hardly remembers that concept of working in a team. Intelligence division rarely works in teams, especially if they were to team up with people from other divisions. Now she had a decision to make. Try to fight this deformed demon on her own, which would most likely result in her permanent death, or team up with Kyou and Tomoyo and at least stand some chance of winning. It really wasn't a difficult decision to make. Being part of the intelligence division meant being smart; finding the best possible solution to every problem and applying it... even if it meant working with their sworn enemies.

Her eyes looked to the back of the hall, where the rest of the SSS and SSS2 stood. Katsuragi Rei, the NPC. The intelligence division knew of his nature for quite some time but simply chose to observe him closely. When his cover was discovered by Yuki, Kurogane Kou quickly brought him into her sixth division to cover for him, made him untouchable Kurogane Kou knows more things within and without the organisation than the entire intelligence division brought together but rarely chose to share her information or even act on them. But now Katsuragi had revealed himself to be their ally, one who would help end this madness. Iris knew his words to be true, but found it hard to accept. Still, unlike Kyou, Iris knew that trusting him was the best choice. On the other hand... Tenryuu Shuusuke was a different story altogether. Even in this sort of situation, Iris would not hesitate to put an end to that annoying guy's life. But never mind him now. She had bigger problems to deal with.

"Are you done with your internal monologue?"

Kyou's voice snapper her out of her thoughts. Iris sighed, shaking her head.

"It's called thinking. If your half wit of a monkey's brain can even register what that is, then you'll know that it's quite important... Fine, I'll ask for you help. This time."

With that, Kyou smirked, bringing up her large book.

"Good, that's what I want to hear. So what have you been 'thinking'?"

"... Well, first off, there are sacks within the mouths of the beast. The sacks are weaknesses and will only appear one at a time at a random mouth. The sack will spill out a swarm of G once burst but will cause significant damage at the same time. When one mouth is holding onto the sack, the rest will produce tentacles to protect it. The strategy is to attack the other mouths and keep them pre-occupied while I go in for the sack."

Iris explained the plan. Kyou nodded in agreement at first.

"Well, there is a problem with that. If we attack the other mouths, they would simply swallow up our attacks."

Kyou pointed out the weakness. But Iris knew of a plan.

"We'll overload the other mouths. Throw so many things at them at one go that they are unable to feed to heal, or be able to protect the sack."

"Hmm, fight fire with fire. Interesting. And what should Tomoyo do?"

"She should keep attacking it head-on. It's dangerous but we need to make sure the beast isn't thrashing about. We need it to stay still in order to commence our attack."

"Alright, sounds like a plan. Tomoyo! You heard that?"

Kyou shouted to her friend who simply gave a thumbs up before charging straight at the beast again.

"So I'll overload the other mouths while you go in for the kill. Which mouth is the one with the sack?"

Kyou looked over the creature where the multiple mouths were opening and closing, not giving her enough time to look for the sack.

"The one by the left shoulder bone. Just throw everything you've got at it. I'll deal with it when the time comes."

"Alright, but don't blame me if you get hit by one of my weapons. I'm not exactly the aiming type."

Iris merely smiled a little at Kyou's words, drawing her sword and readying her stance.

"I know."

* * *

One... who fears her own strength. Who realizes the pain and solitude of power. And for that she had shunned away what could have been hers. Cast aside the mantle of power and leadership. Seeking comfort with the ones below, she covers herself with the lie of weakness and camaraderie. One... who wasted away her opportunity. Who degraded herself so lowly and placed others before her own self. And so she came to shoulder the weight of an entire army. Disregarding her own limits and pushing herself beyond what she can handle. Drowning herself in work, in fights, all to run away from her own self. One... who trusted no one. Used, lied to, betrayed. Encasing her own heart in ice, seeing everyone around her as an enemy. She had always stood alone, watching the masks of lies that other wore around her. Showing her distrust to others and taking on the World as her enemy.

yet...

Together, they have found an answer. Together, they have forged a path to overcome their faults. Together, they will grow. The one who feared her strength, now charges straight on to hold off the attacks. The one who shouldered everything now shares the burden of the battle. The one who mistrusted everyone, now placed her only hope of winning on her two comrades. Together, they have managed to drive out the madness, together, they have pushed on. Together... they will overcome all. No matter what they face, as long they understand that they have to work together, that together they shall grow, then nothing can stop them. They will surpass everything that was taught to them.

'Are you sure that is your only wish?'

Nothing more needs to be done.

'Humans cannot be so selfless. There must be something you want for yourself. Something you want to fulfil. Your own desires.'

The comfort of knowing that the guidance that needed to be given is done is more than enough. To fulfil one's own desires, to complete one's own pride in this matter is all that is needed.

'... You wish to deny me? Deny what is your true nature? I will not allow this. I am SIN, I am Beelzebub. I WILL NOT BE DENIED.'

* * *

She sensed it. Something was wrong.

"Tomoyo! Iris! Get back!"

She shouted and the two immediately stopped their attacks, jumping back just in time before the beast they were attacking suddenly reared back and then releasing out an inhumane roar. The roar that carried so much hate, so much despair. This was...

"SIN..."

She knew it. This was their true enemy. This was the madness incarnate. This was Beelzebub. The beast gave another inhumane roar as it started to twist and bend with bone crunching sounds at the joints, muscles being suddenly exploding in size and proportion. More spikes shot out from the twisted joints as the 'mouths' on the back of the beast merged together, forming one large mouth as a slit open on the creature's forehead, creating another mouth.

"This is troubling."

Iris muttered.

"This is Beelzebub... the Lord of flies... the incarnation of Gluttony. We've been fighting a deformed Ein up till now. Now... The madness has taken over completely. Now it won't be so easy."

"But this fight has gone on for too long. It's time we end this."

Tomoyo said, cracking her knuckles. Kyou nodded in agreement.

"Yes... and though the madness has taken over, Ein still managed to leave us with the winning key. That."

Kyou pointed to the small mouth on the forehead. Iris did not look convinced.

"And how do you know that that is the weak point? It could be that large mouth on the back."

"Because that isn't how Ein does things. Straight to the point. So Iris, are you going to help us or what?"

Iris pondered on that for the moment, before looking at Kyou straight in the eye.

"I'm going to be frank. You're both nuts. I hate your guts and I still don't trust any of you... but..."

Iris trailed off as the edge of her lips curled up slightly.

"It is always better to do what is necessary, than what could be done otherwise."

Kyou smirked as she heard Iris's answer.

"Quite the fickle minded person, aren't we?"

"I live for the moment, and though the moments never end, they are ever changing."

"Well, that's good enough for me. Let's get this show on the road."

Kyou said, cracking her knuckles.

"Tomoyo! Iris! We'll do the same as before. Overload that big mouth."

"With what, may I ask?"

Iris quizzed, jumping out of the way as the beast pounced onto the spot she was standing just a mere second ago. Kyou simply smirked at that question, jumping back herself to get some distance and reaching behind her where she kept two large books that dangled by her hips. Taking both books out, she held them in each hand as the books opened by themselves and the pages started to flip.

"Ougi: 8000 metre Baku-dan"

The two books started to hover above Kyou's hands, emitting a faint glow before flying upwards and combining, changing their shapes into one giant ammunition round that was too large to even comprehend.

"Tomoyo!"

The vice commander of the SSS2 Army ran forward, slamming her foot down hard on the ground, causing it to crack as she jumped off the ground, her hand reeled back as she flew closer to the striking point of the giant round.

"Ougi: Baku hou shou ken"

The rail gauntlet fired the same time as Tomoyo sent her strongest punch into the striking point of the giant round. The round cracked under the sheer strength of Tomoyo's punch but it still did its job as it exploded, firing itself towards the deformed Sin. The giant beast tried to close up its large mouth on its back but kunai suddenly appeared, raining down on the mouth and forcing it open. The round crashed straight into the giant mouth, causing the mouth to stay open as the round was too large to swallow. Despite being the sin of gluttony, the round was proving too large to swallow.

"Iris!"

Iris reappeared right in front of the beast, her blades drawn and ready to strike.

"Ougi: Sakura Zen Mai"

Her hands were a blur as the strikes she delivered were numerous and too fast for anyone to see it properly. The flurry of attacks did not end and though they were shallow, they were numerous and relentless, attacking with such ferocity and tenacity that the blades soon managed to cut deeper and deeper into the flesh.

_[Beelzebub receives 2000 damage]_

_[Beelzebub receives 2000 damage]_

_[Beelzebub receives 2000 damage]_

_[Beelzebub receives 2000 damage]_

_[Beelzebub receives 2000 damage]_

_[Beelzebub receives 2000 damage]_

_[Beelzebub receives 2000 damage]_

_[Beelzebub receives 2000 damage]_

_[Beelzebub receives 2000 damage]_

The beast roared out in pain and Iris pulled back, putting her two blades together before driving them both into the same spot, the weak point of the beast. The mouth above on its forehead. The blade struck deep into the mouth, causing the beast to howl out an ear piercing scream.

_[Beelzebub receives 50000 damage]_

"Tomoyo!"

Iris jumped back just as Tomoyo charged forward with one arm cocked back before she threw it at the hilt of Iris's blades, driving them deeper into the wound.

_[Beelzebub receives 100000 damage]_

Kyou smiled, bringing up a new book.

"Access: Epilogue"

Books suddenly appeared out of thin air. Thousands, millions of them, each surrounding the beast. Each book started to glow and transformed into swords, spears, lances, arrows, bullets, grenades. Anything that was a weapon, a projectile, an explosive, all appeared around the beast, hovering around it as though displaying the combined history of mankind's progress in war and death, building up for the final end. Kyou turned around, snapping her fingers, signalling every single one of those weapons to fly straight into the beast, as well as the giant explosive round that was lodged in its back. Tomoyo and Iris landed next to Kyou right as the giant round exploded behind them.

_[Beelzebub receives 9000000 damage]_

"Everyone wants a happy ending."

* * *

He had always sought justice. Chased it like it was a dream that kept luring him in. He never really knew what his ideal justice really was or how he was suppose to attain it but he just kept on chasing. Some told him it was a useless hope, that if he kept on chasing such ideals, it would land him in the same position as his father. Dead. But such ideals were not easily shaken. He kept chasing, kept moving forward. For him, it was the only thing he knew of. Being a half Japanese made things rather difficult, particularly since he took on his father's looks more so than his mother's. Everyone treated him like a stranger, like someone who existed within their community and without. But he kept on going. Picking up the trail that his father left behind, he sought out the criminals who were responsible.

But he was still a child. A child who knew little of the world of politics, of pain, of despair... of desperation. And he paid for such mistakes with his life. Yakuza rarely showed mercy to anyone, even if that person is a child. And so he ended up here but those ideals of justice did not waver nor did they change who he was. He looked at what he was doing and decided to change. Like his father, he became a leader, a teacher, to those in need. And so his justice had changed but also grew stronger. He knew now that what he was meant to do was not chase the criminals or the evils that plagued the World, but rather... he was meant to teach, to guide those who had strayed from the right path back onto course. He was meant to lead, to protect those who were weak and vulnerable. And so he took on the mantle of leadership... as well as the madness of this World.

But unlike Yuki, he did not have the courage to take it all in. He could not see himself as someone who could handle such a position. And so he refused the power of the SSS weapons offered to him. But maybe it was for the best. He could see the madness build up, and now he could prepare those who would rise up in such dark times. He would prepare them physically, mentally, emotionally. These warriors, these brave souls. They will fight the madness that had plagued this World for centuries and they will need to grow stronger in order to face their inevitable battles. He looked up and saw them. The familiar faces of those whom he had guided.

"... Yo..."

He could only smile. His entire body was numb, he could barely think.

"Good morning. You're being awfully stupid in thinking you could go off sleeping on the floor like that."

The violet haired girl said with a slightly strained smile.

"I'm... the leader... I can... do what...ever... I want."

"You're really selfish, you know?"

"Hmph... so you say... now... But... I've done... what I... need to do... The rest... is up to... you guys..."

"... Are you really going to go?"

She asked him, her voice slightly choking up. He merely smiled and closed his eyes.

"I... am really... tired... So let me... sleep... teaching you brats... was too... tiring."

"And you were a horrible teacher."

"Say... what you... want... I'll see you... later..."

He did not see her tears but could feel them fall upon her cheeks.

"... Yeah... We'll see you on the other side. And we'll be waiting with whole bowls of niku-udon for you. Ein."

_[Katsuragi Rei used Blue Gear]_

_[Access: Insanity Streak]_

_[Corruption absorption in progress]_

_[...]_

_[...]_

_[...]_

_[Purge complete]_

* * *

A/N: In a lot ways, Ein really resembles my uncle. Tough love, as he likes to put it (or simply "suck it up, you're a man").


	49. Chapter 49

A/N: Well, I don't need to say anything about my lateness. It's the same as before. This chapter is shorter than the previous mainly because I was thinking I needed to rush through the story sooner. Still, my side-tracking had caused multiple delays and as such I am unable to produce any writing that meets my bare minimum standards lately. Sigh... I'm going to tire myself out with this.

Anyway, visit my blog since I've updated it with some new drawings! In particular... EIN SHREWERZ, TATSUME KENJI, KINOJI AWASE, HIMURA YUUKO, GOUDATERA TAKAKO AND KUROGANE KOU!

YES! I've drawn out all of the Division leaders (except Jinnai because his existence is so miniscule). I've also drawn out Katsuragi Rei and will be unloading his drawing after I've sketched a down-scaled version. His first sketch is very nice, if I might say so myself, but I miscalculated the sizes and ended up cutting off a bit off his hair and his legs are missing. I need to scale things right first... If I can...

Anyway, big thanks to my readers who contributed your characters. I hope I managed to do some justice to your characters. If not... well... sorry?

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 49_

_Sloth_

"Would they really be alright?"

Yuri asked as they continued on up the tower once more. By 'they' she meant the three who walked in front of the rest. Just like before, the hall that they fought within disappeared once they left, transforming the place back into its original form. Kei looked at the backs of the three who had just fought their own comrade just a few minutes ago. There was no way they would be alright, but it was something that they chose for themselves. He could not deny their choices and he would rather not. They had made their decision and walked along the path they chose, despite how much pain or hardship it may put them through.

"... They will be."

He simply replied. That is because they are SSS2. They are survivors in this harsh World and they are betting all they had on this War. Betting on their hopes that they will win, that they will conquer the madness that plagued this World and within themselves.

"We would most likely meet another one of those division leaders and we will most likely have another fight on our hands."

Yuri stated but he did not need to be told that. He knew that better than anyone else.

"... We will have to fight all division leaders."

"Including this... Kurogane Kou?"

That sentence brought him to a full stop, making Yuri stop as well. Kurogane Kou. The leader of the sixth division, the reaper. Without realizing it, he had found himself... infatuated with her. He wanted to help her, save her from the madness. He knew that they would have to fight her eventually. But when would that eventuality be? He had hoped that she did not succumb to the madness like the other leaders but he knew that would not be possible. Still, if such a possibility was there... No matter. He had to deal with the SSS2 leaders and what lay ahead of their path. Kurogane Kou including.

"... I'll deal with that... when the time comes."

Yuri did not seemed all too convinced by his answer but she kept her own opinions to herself. Everything has a meaning to it, even if that thing may seem extremely absurd to her for it may very well work. The group continued on up the spiralling stairwell in silence. It was a heavy atmosphere to be in but no one could change it, no one wanted to change it. They had to fight their own leaders, their own comrades, the ones they had placed their trust onto throughout the decades they spent in this hell hole. But it wasn't the same as being betrayed. No, it was the feeling of themselves being the unwilling betrayers. They had to betray their leaders in order to pursue their ideals. Their ideals of being strong enough to overcome their own darkness. They had placed that very same ideal on their leaders and the organization. The SSS2 was the very manifestation of those ideals.

But ideals were vague at best and thus came the great divide. To cling onto their hopeless ideals without compromise, to stubbornly follow the same path despite it leading them further into despair. Or to look towards a brighter future, to make those ideals into something tangible, into something they can grab hold onto. And so they will have to face their own past, their own despairs and suffer pain and agony. Two separate paths from the same starting point. One path is easy path, to follow your own convictions to the letter, making no compromise. The other... threatens to shake your very beliefs. These brave ones had chosen the latter and though the path they now walk is filled with hardships, it will inevitably help them leave this madness.

"Looks like we've reached the next one."

Kyou spoke up, making the group stop. Just as Kyou said, they had reached the next pair of large doors. This door had carvings that depicted people lying on the ground, all reaching out for the sky above them but yet not reaching what the sky had provided.

"Well, that was much faster than the previous two."

Yuri muttered, walking over to the pair of doors. She traced her finger on the carvings on the door before she closed her eyes in thought.

"... This is sloth. Any idea who might be behind this door?"

She opened her eyes once more and turned to the SSS2 members in the group. The SSS2 members all looked to one another before Iris spoke up.

"I might have an idea."

The former vice commander of the intelligence division walked up to the door, studying the carvings a little more before turning to the rest of the group.

"Beyond this door is probably one of the stronger Division leaders. Most likely the third strongest division leader. Kinoji Awase."

Iris said, letting some in the group to question that.

"Kinoji Awase? Is she that strong?"

Hinata asked. Iris crossed her arms as she looked back to the carvings on the door before explaining

"Kinoji Awase's potential is immense. We have no idea what she did or happened in her life but her abilities are probably one of the strongest in our entire organisation."

"You keep talking as though it is only a possibility she might be the strongest. As though you yourself are not certain."

Yuri pointed out. Iris nodded to Yuri's inquiry.

"Exactly. No one is certain of Awase's true abilities as she rarely, if ever, shows them. While she isn't as strong as Kurogane Kou or Taeno Yuki, she is still one of the strongest. Her power peaks out above almost all other leaders but it hardly goes there. In other words, when she goes all out... no one knows what will happen."

"Not to mention, she'll be the first Division Leader we'll face who actually holds onto a SSS ranked weapon."

Rei added, making the entire atmosphere within the group rather dire.

"Is the weapon really that powerful?"

Hinata asked, making Yuri punch him in the face.

"Weren't you listening to anything we talked about just now? Those weapons are dangerous, especially when they are linked to the user's SIN through the program."

"That isn't the only reason why they are dangerous."

Rei added, walking up to the pair of doors.

"... When a person holds onto a conviction so strongly, they become that conviction in itself. The SSS weapons are able to take on the emotions and feelings of its user, amplifying such powers beyond what any one is capable of even comprehending. In other words, the SSS weapons becomes the SIN itself."

The silence that followed Rei's explanation was long and suffocating.

"Well, no point just waiting out here for something to happen. Let's just get inside and face our next opponent."

Yuri suddenly said, pushing the giant doors open. The group looked to one another with slight uncertainty but followed the SSS leader through the giant pair of door. Walking through the door, the group entered darkness and the giant doors closed behind them. While it wasn't anything new, it still made them slightly jumpy and on edge. Lights suddenly flickered to life above their heads, illuminating the darkness that they stood in. And where they were standing in did not please them in the slightest.

It was a giant hall, like others before this one, one that had to walls and no ceilings. The hall went on for miles, as far as the eye could see. The lights above were floating lights, hovering above like being held there by some invisible line. Within this hall were beds. Simply beds that could be found in most infirmaries and hospitals. With the beds lined up in neat rows and columns, this place looked more like a field hospital than an infirmary. The scene was somewhat unsettling for the group, to be surrounded by so many beds, and it was especially uncomfortable for some within the group.

"... Let's just be thankful there aren't any blood stains on them."

Yuri said, breaking the silence and leading the group onwards. While what she said was extremely disturbing, it was a thought that had crossed the minds of each and every single one of them. The giant hall seemed to go on for some time as the group continued to walk through the rows of beds. But soon it became evident that where ever their goal might be, they would be reaching it soon. The beds became more cluttered, unkempt and the air started to get heavy. A strange invisible weight seemed to bear down on the group, their legs became harder to move, their breathing became slowed and hard. The air was thick and smothering. Some in the group felt it was hard to even stay alert at this point.

"Can I... just rest?"

Kyou wondered, collapsing onto one of the beds and promptly dozed off. Tomoyo had to drag her friend to keep up with the group though Tomoyo herself was also feeing the effects of this hall.

"This is quite bad."

Rei muttered, rubbing his eyes to ensure he stayed awake.

"NPCs can get affected as well?"

Yuri asked, trying her best to keep up the appearance of being awake.

"I have... the soul of a human... I can get affected quite... easily."

Rei replied, shaking his head to dispel whatever had gotten over him. But luckily for the group, they did not have to go that much further. They soon reached what they could presume as the centre of the hall. A large mountain of infirmary beds all piled up upon one another in a disorganized manner and sitting on top of all of that was a young woman. With her shoulder length brown hair, she was simply lying on the top of the mountain of beds, staring up to the darkness that covered the ceiling. If there was one. This was the person they were meant to fight next. The next hurdle in their journey The one they had been searching for.

"... Kinoji... Awase."

* * *

"That is 'Kinoji Awase'?"

Hinata wondered out loud. The person who lay at the top of the mountain of beds did not seem to notice the group below, or even make any attempts to move for that matter.

"Is she... dead?"

"Awase is one hard person to kill."

A small sized person said, stepping forward.

"Takako."

The small sized second in command of the Guild forces had a nerve snap but she kept her cool. Slightly.

"... Anyway, like I said, Awase is hard to kill. There's a saying that even if you were to kill her ten times over, and remove her head from her body, she would still revive with a new body to the head and a new head to the body."

The group stood there in slight shock and disgust as the image of the saying floated into their minds. Certainly it wasn't a very pleasant image to see.

"Well, even if she is that tough, we must still get through her."

Yuri pointed out, to which Takako nodded in agreement.

"Yes, and that is why I will request that I would fight her."

"You? Fight her? Why?"

Yuri asked but Takako simply turned her head and looked at Rei's direction.

"... Because someone said it is better to get a person who is more understanding and sympathetic towards our opponent in order to make them pass on. I believe that I am suitable to fight Awase as we both share a similar past."

By someone, she really obviously meant Rei.

"And so I will engage in combat with Awase."

Takako concluded, turning back to the mountain of beds with her opponent at the top.

"Can you win? All by yourself?"

Yuri asked.

"... To be honest, I am uncertain of the outcome myself-"

Takako muttered, but her eyes still stayed focused.

"But... It is still something I must do. I have chosen to walk upon this path of carnage and I have to ensure that I see it through towards the end. That... is my conviction."

"... Takako... did you eat something bad? You're speaking in a really weird manner."

_[Goudatera Takako used 'Chains of Binding']_

_[Katsuragi Rei suffers 30 damage]_

With Rei out of commission and a new lump on his head from being lifted up into the air and dropped onto his head from a great height, Takako sighed, shaking her head.

"... Those chains. Are they-"

Yuri pointed to the weapons in Takako's hand. Takako shook her head.

"No, these aren't SSS ranked weapons. These are-"

"Grade S rank specialised weapon... the 'Chains that bound the caged bird'..."

A new voice spoke up, making everyone turn. That voice... it came from the top of the mountain of beds.

"Kinoji... Awase..."

Takako turned her attention back to the figure at the top of the beds.

_[Boss Fight]_

_[4th Division Leader: Diversion]_

_[Kinoji Awase]_

_[Alignment: Neutral]_

_[Type: Sloth]_

_[Level: 150_

_HP: 50000000_

_MP: 60000000_

_Strength: D_

_Agility: Z_

_Endurance: Z_

_Luck: SS]_

_[Weapons List:_

_- Rabbit Hole (Rank SSS)_

_- Rabbit Foot (Rank SSS)]_

.

.

.

.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

Silence. Was something suppose to happen? In the first place, those stats were very poor looking.

"... A... Awase?"

Takako asked, hoping to get a response.

.

.

.

.

"... ZZZZ"

.

.

.

"Huh?"

All stood in stunned silence as they tried to make sure that what they just heard was right.

"ZZZZ"

Yup, they weren't dreaming it. Kinoji Awase, the true leader of the Diversion Division, as well as their next opponent, was sleeping.

"... She sure snores loudly."

Hinata pointed out.

"Is that a snot bubble?"

"Gross."

And so the climatic situation had just gone bust. Again. Takako did not seem all too pleased with how it all went.

"... Sigh, Oi! Awase! Wake up!"

Takako shouted.

"ZZZZ"

But to no avail. At this point, a certain nerve snapping could be heard.

"ARGH! WAKE UP!"

Takako screamed, using her chain to grab one of the beds by the leg and with one pull, lifted the bed into the air and sending it soaring towards the sleeping division leader.

**BOOM**

_[Kinoji Awase receives 9999999999 damage]_

"Oi, are you sure she can survive that?"

"Don't worry, she's stronger than you think. Besides, she's a division leader."

Kyou answered Yuri's query with confidence.

.

.

.

.

.

.

_[Kinoji Awase is dead]_

.

.

.

.

.

.

"Erm... that wasn't suppose to happen?"

"... No."

The group stood there in silence.

"... She's not waking up."

Hinata pointed out.

"... Right! Well, that just means we beat her. Let's move on."

Yuri stated, heading off in one direction.

"Oi! That's not how it's suppose to happen!"

Rei snapped at the SSS leader. Certainly, this strange turn of events was too weird even for a group of mismatched people like them. Yuri stopped in her tracks and turned to face the NPC.

"Then what is suppose to happen? We are here to defeat the SSS2 leaders and that is what happened here."

Yuri replied whilst narrowing her eyes at Rei. Rei simply sighed, shaking his head is disbelief.

"Look, you know it as much as I do, Nakamura-san. Even if we managed to defeat a leader this way, it will not end the war, will not end the madness. It would only delay the inevitable. Now isn't the time to take short cuts and be lazy about finishing what we started."

Yuri wanted to argue back but kept her words to herself. She knew that Rei had a point. This method of dealing with the Division leaders was wrong. And in the first place, these sorts of events would only lead to a flag. A flag for a boss battle.

"And a flag you did raise."

A voice muttered. Everyone turned around and saw that the bed that Takako used to slam into Kinoji was slowly being lifted up. Standing up straight above the mountain of beds, holding up that one bed above her head with one hand, Kinoji Awase stood there, her glare menacing.

"... I really wanted to sleep. Did you know it is rude to wake someone up by slamming a bed on them?"

With one hand, she tossed the bed high into the air before it fell back down to the base of the mountain of bed frames. The menacing aura that came from Awase was something not to be taken lightly. It was suffocating, choking and absolutely frightening. It was like facing a giant beast that everyone knew was a threat to their lives.

"Do you not know the meaning... of letting sleeping lions be? Obviously not."

Awase muttered, sitting back down onto the bed she lay down on before. Her eyes narrowed at the group, looking at each and every one of them. Her eyes fell upon the SSS members, in particular Yuri.

"... So, our predecessors have arrived. No doubt to clean up our mess. It would have been wise to follow her advise and just carry on, but that isn't what you all are here for. To be honest, I would let all of you just go by. Don't need to fight, I'm quite tired after all... But you guys won't leave."

Awase muttered, now focusing her attention to Rei.

"... Katsuragi. I had always thought you as my favourite... Personally, I would have taken you into my division but Yuki-chan is very... persuasive. Who knew you would end up being our enemy in disguise? ... Well, every one of the division leaders knew about it so that does not really say anything, but it does not change the fact that you... are not who you were... Even now."

Awase crossed her legs, resting her chin on her hand.

"... Tell me, Katsuragi... Who are you?"

* * *

"... Tell me, Katsuragi... Who are you?"

That question hit Rei quite hard. He did not know exactly how to answer it. Who was he? He was an NPC. He was Katsuragi Rei. But... is he still is up till now? He had a human soul within him. Kurogane Kei's soul within him. Does that make him Kurogane Kei? No, of course not. Is he Katsuragi, the SSS2 Wolf fighter? That can't be right. That contradicts the first statement of being an NPC. When A is not equal to B or C and B is not equal to A or C but all statements A B and C hold true... Huh?

"All answers... are wrong... and yet... all answers... are right."

Awase spoke up, as though reading his mind.

"You are an NPC... yet you are also a SSS2 warrior... at the same time you harbour the soul of another human being... You confuse yourself too much Katsuragi... Confuse yourself till you go blind to all that is right in front of you... and then... you lose yourself."

Lose himself. That was a thought that he did not entertain at all. He had always thought himself to be an NPC, therefore unable to turn mad but that train of thought was wrong. His two 'siblings', if you could call them that, went mad from being tainted by the madness of the SSS2. He harbours a human soul as well and humans were prone to madness. Awase studied Rei as he carefully thought about his own situation before closing her eyes with a slight smile.

"... Well, heed it if you want to. It does not concern me."

She said, getting up to her feet.

"What concerns me at this moment is the fact that all of you are here to end the madness, so even if I let you go pass, you wouldn't leave... So what would it take to make all of you to leave me alone? ... A chocolate bar?"

Awase quizzed, reaching into her pocket and fishing out a large wrapped bar of chocolate. She looked at the bar for sometime before looking at the group below.

"... I don't want to give you guys this. It looks too delicious."

With that, Awase ate the chocolate bar.

.

.

.

"... Huh?"

"Mgndgfgndnmdnm"

Awase tried to say something but her words were nothing more than garbage due to the chocolate she was chewing on.

"Awase... how many times must you be told to swallow before talking?"

Kyou asked whilst shaking her head in dismay. The Diversion leader chewed the remaining bits in her mouth before swallowing and licking her fingers and lips of any residue chocolate.

"... Hmm... I was told by Jinnai twice today, three times by Kou, five times by Ein, one time by Yuki and..."

Awase trailed off, before looking at Kyou.

"... Once by you..."

Awase's stare was hard and Kyou was beginning to feel slightly pressured by it. Kinoji Awase was a Division leader, and one of the strongest. It wasn't so much she had the ability to lead, but she exuded a presence that hid a secret. A secret that was so tempting and yet dangerous at the same time. Who would endure longer? Kyou? Or Awase. Kyou knew that she could not stand up to a Division leader on her own. She lacked the strength and power to attempt such a foolish thought. But she had to try.

.

.

.

.

"...ZZZZ"

_[Kinoji Awase is asleep]_

"OI! NOT THIS PATTERN AGAIN!"

Takako snapped, using her chain once more, this time aiming it straight for the sleeping Awase. But Awase raised her arm and the chain wrapped itself around her arm. Takako felt a huge tug on the chain and struggled to keep it in her hands. Awase opened her eyes once more, narrowing them at Takako.

"... So... you guys won't leave... Well... that's sort of sad... I don't feel like doing this... Too many people."

Awase muttered, looking at the entire SSS group.

"... Time to cut down the spectators."

With that, Awase snapped her fingers. Almost instantaneously, everyone in the group felt a large wave of drowsiness hit them, making them fall to the ground asleep almost immediately.

"... Hmm... Finally... some peace and quiet. Time to sleep again-"

Before Awase wanted to lie back down on her bed but the chain around her arm tugged at her.

"Not so fast... Awase."

Standing firmly with a slight smirk on her face, Goudatera Takako gripped onto her chain tightly.

"... You're... not asleep?"

Awase asked in slight surprise.

"She's not the only one."

Standing up from the floor, the pinked haired guitarist of the SSS band stepped forward.

"The super beauty, Yui-nyan, is here!"

Awase narrowed her eyes at the two who stood defiantly up to her. Against her sleeping power, against her wishes to avoid combat... against her.

"... Then so be it... You will have your combat..."

Awase muttered, getting back up to her feet.

"... But you will regret... not walking away from this... In fact... you won't be walking anywhere... ever... again."

* * *

_[Boss Fight]_

_[4th Division Leader: Diversion]_

_[Kinoji Awase]_

_[Alignment: Neutral]_

_[Type: Sloth]_

_[Level: 150_

_HP: 50000000_

_MP: 60000000_

_Strength: D_

_Agility: Z_

_Endurance: Z_

_Luck: SS]_

_[Weapons List:_

_- Rabbit Hole (Rank SSS)_

_- Rabbit Foot (Rank SSS)]_

**VS**

_[3rd Division: Guild; Leader of Builders Squad (Former)_

_Vice Commander SSS2 Army: Guild_

_SSS2 Army Guild Division Special Tactical Shield Squad Leader (Concurrent)]_

_[Goudatera Takako]_

_[Alignment: Chaotic Evil]_

_[Level: 80_

_HP: 60000_

_MP: 100000_

_Strength: B_

_Agility: C_

_Endurance: A_

_Luck: B]_

_[Weapons List:_

_- Chain of a bound bird (Rank S)]_

_[SSS Band: Girls Dead Monster second leader singer]_

_[Yui (Nyan) ]_

_[Alignment: Chaotic Evil]_

_[Level: 50_

_HP: 20000_

_MP: 60000_

_Strength: C_

_Agility: A_

_Endurance: B_

_Luck: S]_

_[Weapons List:_

_- Guitar (Rank: C)_

_- Yui-Nyan Power (Rank: ? )]_

.

.

.

.

"BE SERIOUS ABOUT THIS!"

Takako snapped, punching Yui straight down on the head, causing the SSS guitarist to have her head bounce around like a bobble head as stars and a dancing cow starting to go around her head.

"Sheesh, and I thought all of our predecessors were much better than this."

Takako muttered, rubbing her fist to soothe away the slight pain. Yui's skull is much thicker than previously thought.

"Guess all sorts of appearances can be deceiving."

Takako said, turning her attention back to Awase. The Division leader stood there, observing the entire event with a stoic expression on her face.

"... ZZZZ"

_[Kinoji Awase is asleep]_

"... I knew it."

Takako muttered, retracting her chain, before she lashed it out at one of the beds scattered about. Lifting the bed up with her chain, Takako swung it around once before bringing it crashing down on Awase. But the impact was stopped when Awase reached out and grabbed the bed, preventing it from hitting her.

"... You are extremely rude, Goudatera Takako... To disturb me not once... not twice... but three times..."

The growing anger was starting to build up from Awase. The air around Takako was starting to feel thick and heavy. Her breathing was hard and arduous. Her mind was starting to lose focus from lack of oxygen. This was the power of the Diversion Division Leader, the one who embodied the sin of Sloth, Kinoji Awase. But this wasn't even Awase's full potential. As the embodiment of Sloth, she could do almost anything if she had the right motivation. Not to mention she has yet to use her rank SSS weapon. But Takako had to risk it. If Awase used her SSS weapon without the activation of her skill, Takako could have a serious advantage over Awase. However... If Awase were to ever activate her skill, Takako would not know if she could even stand up to the Division leader.

"You hope for me to use my weapon... without using my skill. Aren't you, Goudatera?"

Awase asked, making Takako narrow her eyes at the division leader. Her plan was revealed too quickly. Awase knew all about the one edge Takako would have in this fight and now the fight would not be swung in her favour. Awase merely smirked as she reached into her pocket and pulled out two objects. A cloth ball, and a pocket watch. The 'Rabbit's Hole' and the 'Rabbit's Foot'. The two weapons of Kinoji Awase and the answer to Takako's problem... as well as the very existence of her problems.

"Since this has gone on long enough, let's just cut straight to the climax of this battle... don't you agree, Goudatera?"

Awase smiled at Takako who could not laugh at this situation at all.

"How about you just surrender right now and just pass on?"

Takako replied. Awase tilted her head slightly, rubbing her chin in thought. She was actually giving that idea some thought?

"... Hmmm... that is tempting."

IT IS? !

"It is best idea... isn't it? I don't have to fight... you guys don't need to bother me... I can sleep all day..."

Awase went off on how that idea of pleasing, listing more and more things that would be beneficial to her if she just passed on.

"... No more noise... No more noisy Jinnai to nag... It really is... a tempting idea... but-"

Awase smiled as she looked back to Takako.

"... That is not going to be the case... I'm too lazy to pass on... And if I pass on now... a lot of people would be disappointed... you would not want to disappoint them... would you?"

"I wouldn't mind disappointing a whole lot of people if it were to make my life easier... BUT WHO THE HELL ARE THESE 'A LOT OF PEOPLE'? !"

Takako suddenly snapped.

"Ara ara... Goudatera, doing a nori-tsukkomi now... you are progressing well as a comedian."

"I DON'T WANT TO BE ONE!"

"Ara ara... but it suits you so well... And by a whole lot... I mean the readers of course... They waited so long for a good fight... why disappoint them?"

"DON'T GO RANDOMLY BREAKING DOWN WALLS!"

Takako was really going off the rails. If this keeps up, her mental state would collapse way before the fight even began.

"AND WHOSE BLOODY FAULT DO YOU THINK THAT IS? !"

Right, mine.

"Now now... there isn't any reason to blame the script... After all... it is all simply... a story."

Awase muttered, her tone turning slightly strained. Her eyes closed for the moment before opening them once more, staring down straight at Takako.

"... And every story... no matter how beautiful... or interesting... needs an end."

_[Program: Initialized]_

_[Corruption level: 1000%]_

_[Engaging DEMON protocol]_

"... An end... to a beautiful... dream."

_[Belphegor; Activate]_

_'I am the deepest of all Sins._

_I am the dark beauty of life,_

_the endless sleep of every night._

_I am the the temptation at every corner,_

_The chains of the weary and restless._

_I halt all minds and bring Worlds to a stand still._

_To overcome me is to resist your life._

_You cannot exist without me,_

_You can deny me,_

_But you will always carry me within your heart._

_I am the challenge all face at every second of their lives,_

_the great divide at every decision._

_I am the darkness that shall devour you,_

_at every hour,_

_at every minute,_

_at every second._

_By the waking dawn of the day,_

_to the waning dusk of the night._

_I stand by all, embracing the eternal._

_Sleep is my calling,_

_Laziness is my creed._

_I am Belphegor._

_I am Acedia._

_I am Sloth.'_

* * *

_[Boss Fight]_

_[Incarnation of Sloth: Belphegor]_

_[Kinoji Awase]_

_[ALICE Mode; Activated]_

_[ALICE Armour equipped]_

_[Level: 250_

_HP: 800000000_

_MP: 1000000000_

_Strength: B_

_Agility: C_

_Endurance: D_

_Luck: SS]_

_[Weapons List:_

_- ALICE Armour (Rank SSS)_

_- Rabbit Hole (Rank SSS)_

_- Rabbit Foot (Rank SSS)]_

A great explosion of sheer pressure came from Awase, blowing Takako back, forcing the latter to shield her face from the impact. Struggling back to her feet, Takako looked up and saw something she did not know how to describe. Unlike the previous two Division leaders, Awase did not transform into some hideous beast. No contorted joints, no elongated faced, no weird growling and drooling sounds. Awase was... still Awase. The only difference between the Awase that stood before Takako now, and the one from before was what she was wearing.

No longer in her uniform, Awase was wearing some sort of elaborate dress that seemed to come from a Victorian era royal gown party. While not as frilly and thick as those dresses, the frills did seem to fit the image. A white corset top that went down to a tail coat. Frilly white skirt that went half way to her thighs. An overall blue coat that displayed her slim figure. However even despite her graceful figure, there was something about Awase that just did not sit right with Takako. Something ominous and malicious. The overwhelming pressure from before was greater in intensity.

"You seem confused... Goudatera."

Awase smiled slyly, as though mocking Takako.

"That... armour... that isn't the same... as Jinnai or Shrewerz."

Takako spoke, her breath made heavy by the intense pressure. Awase looked at herself, as though it was her first time noticing what she was wearing, before she looked to Takako with a smile.

"Isn't it nice? I designed it myself... Well, as much as I would like to... Looks like you haven't thought things through properly... have you, Goudatera?"

Awase smirked, swaying her head from side to side.

"It is all due to this."

She pulled out her two rank SSS weapons. The ball of cloth and the pocket watch. The moment Takako saw them she realized what was going on.

"The SSS weapons... So those things managed to control and regulate the madness, preventing you from being completely consumed by the madness."

"Yes... and no..."

Awase replied with a slight smile.

"While the weapon does regulate the madness as a by-product of it utilizing the darkness as a power, it does not prevent me from being consumed... rather... I am already part of the madness. The weapon simply prevents me from losing my form... and my humanity."

That was something that Takako did not expect to hear. The weapons did not control the madness, but rather enforces madness in order to boost the power of itself. However within its power, it is capable of keeping its wielder's human form intact, as well as retaining a certain level of humanity in order to maximise its own power. Lose too much humanity and the weapon would not be able to be used to its full potential. Almost like giving a dog a gun. The weapon was like a living creature, using its wielder to maximise its own efficiency by controlling the ratio of madness, power and control. That 'Armour' was a manifestation of that power and madness, its shape formed by the willpower and imagination of the wielder, and by extension by the SIN of the wielder.

"... Even if you still have some shred of humanity... you are now SIN... in complete form, aren't you?"

Takako said. Awase smiled at her question.

"... Yes... in a way. I am SIN... while not complete... I am far more powerful than the previous two you have fought before... Humans have always held immense power within them... within their hearts... within their souls... And with such a form... the madness shall take form."

Awase took out her cloth ball.

"_EXEC_ANGELPROGRAM : / / / SYSTEM_LINK WEAPONS_SKILL \ WONDERLAND; ACTIVATE_"

Awase threw the cloth ball up into the air and it unravelled itself, revealing its dark hole in the centre. And from the centre came forth a violent torrent of weapons. The black hole spewed forth weapons from every era. Swords, clubs, maces, spears, flails, sabres, cutlasses, axes, rapiers, glaives, halberds, bows, knives, daggers, darts, slings, muskets, flintlocks, clockwork pistols, bayonets, cannons, rifles, machine guns, automatic rifles, semi-automatic pistols, combat knives, mini guns, and it even shot out tanks, howitzers, self-propelled guns and-

"A SHIP? !"

A small size cruiser even came out of the black hole. Anything that was classified as a weapon came out, scattering across the entire infinite hall. This was 'Wonderland', the land of dreams and nightmares. Like its namesake, it was created by Awase's mind, a World of things that defied logic, a World where she ruled over. A World where everyone else would eventually lose their minds within. Awase grabbed onto her first weapon, a long sword, looking down at Takako.

"Well now... shall we dance?"

* * *

**BOOM**

From the explosion Takako flew out, pulled out of the immediate danger by her chain. But out from the smoke Awase flew straight after her.

"Tch!"

Takako yanked her chain out from where it was anchored and let it fly in another direction, anchoring itself around an embedded spear. Once it was locked around the spear it yanked Takako in its new direction, making Awase miss in her swing. However that did not stop Awase as the division leader suddenly flipped her body, landing her feet against the side of a cannon, springing off the cannon and shooting off towards Takako. The small sized Guild builder knew she could not avoid this blow. Her grip on her chain tightened. Her chain yanked the spear it was attached to out of the ground and retracted itself back to its wielder.

Takako grabbed the spear that her chain carried back and brought up just in time to block the blow from Awase. The blow was not powerful but was still quite strong. Using her strength, Takako twisted the spear, pushing Awase to one side, flipping the spear and bringing it's shaft down on Awase, hitting the division leader hard on the back and sending her crashing into the ground. Takako landed back on the ground a few metres away, gripping onto her spear as she readied for Awase's next move. Awase got back to her feet, seemingly unhurt. She looked down at her hand and saw that the sword she carried was broken, its blade somewhere further back. Awase sighed, tossing the hilt away before she walked over to a pair of short swords, pulling them out of the ground and turned back to Takako.

"It's rude to break someone else's things."

Awase said, readying her weapons.

"As if they are your things in the first place."

Takako muttered back, readying her spear. Awase was able to use all weapons her black hole cloth spewed out, as can Kurogane Kou, Amatsu Len and herself, Goudatera Takako. However each of them was different in how they are able to use all sorts of weaponries. Kurogane Kou was able to fully utilize every weapon in existence due to her 'hollow' nature, not having a definite form and from her life of hardships of being someone she wasn't. Amatsu Len was a street fighter, not to mention she was intelligent (even if that aspect is quite hard to see), and thus she would be able to use most weapons to a certain degree.

Goudatera Takako, herself, worked with the Builders and had to test all sorts of weapons. She was one of the few people in Guild whom their leader, Himura Yuuko, trusted the most to test every weapon, thus allowing Takako to have an expansive knowledge base on how to use and operate weapons. Kinoji Awase, on the other hand, was a complete enigma. Her ability to use every weapon was unlike anyone else. Unlike the others, who used the weapons in accordance to how they were designed to, Awase used weapons in accordance to how SHE would use them. In other words, every weapon she picked up would be used in a manner much like how she would use a completely different weapon.

Awase's style was something that wasn't concrete, that lacked a proper structure, much like a lazy person's method to everything. A short cut No matter what weapon she used, it would be degraded, or upgraded to her own level. A level C. A level D weapon would be upgraded to level C in her hands while a SS level weapon would be degraded to level C. Even Kurogane Kou's weapon would be degraded that low, though Takako was sure no one but Kou herself could even touch that weapon. However that did not mean Awase was weak. On the contrary, her ability makes her nearly unpredictable. Though her entire form is similar across the different weapons, her ability to change on the fly was unparalleled.

"Goudatera... don't think so much."

Awase's voice broke Takako's concentration. Awase's figure disappeared in a blur and Takako suddenly felt someone behind her.

"It takes up too much energy."

Takako turned around just in time to parry Awase's blow but the force of the impact made Takako fly off her feet. The down-side to being small in size. Takako flipped in mid-air, throwing the spear in her hand at Awase who simply knocked the weapon away with her twin swords. Takako threw her chain to the side, latching onto a great axe. The chain pulled the giant weapon out of the ground and with one giant swing, sent it flying towards Awase. Without a pause, Awase threw her twin swords at the giant axe. The two swords were pulverized by the axe, disintegrating into strings of ones and zeroes. However that one move made the axe go off target, crashing into the ground right next to her. Awase turned to the axe and grabbed it, pulling it out of the ground with one hand.

"... Thanks."

She smiled, before throwing the axe at Takako. The axe flew at great speeds towards Takako, spinning wildly like a hurricane towards its target. Takako could not evade, nor did she have any weapons with her. She pulled her chain back, coiling it around her two hands multiple times. Using the bundled up chain, she held it up just in time as the axe impacted. The chain, with its multiple overlapping rounds, stopped the axe in its tracks though the force it was enough to blow Takako further back. She threw her chain to the side, anchoring it as it pulled her towards the ground safely. But Takako had no time to rest as looking up, she saw Awase with a belt covered with throwing knives.

"Oh shi-"

Before Takako could finish her sentence, Awase swung the belt like a whip, causing the daggers to fly out of the belt and straight towards Takako.

"Chain that binds!"

Takako whipped out her chain and the weapon snaked itself in the air, catching the daggers in its links though several daggers still managed to get through its maze-like defence, cutting Takako at her cheek, her thigh, her arm, her stomach. But at least she was still alive. She swung the chain once, before bringing it down, forcing the daggers out of her chain links and sent them back towards Awase. The division leader raised her leg up before slamming it down onto the ground, sent a shock wave across the floor. The vibration also forced the weapons in front of Awase to 'jump' up, effectively forming a wall to shield her from the daggers.

The daggers clashed with the wall of weapons that Awase made with her slam and fell harmlessly away. Awase reached out and grabbed a curved blade with her right hand and a rapier with her left hand from the wall of weapons before they fell back down to the ground. Awase had two different kinds of weapons. The curved blade was a slicing weapon whereas the rapier was a stabbing one. However this was the inevitable proof that Awase had the ability to change any weapon to suit her 'style'.

"..."

Awase paused for a moment, looking at the weapons in her hands.

"... I got the wrong weapons."

.

.

.

.

"... Eh?"

"... No, you see, I was trying to grab a dagger and a... what was it again?"

Awase pondered out loud. After a while, Awase just shrugged her shoulders.

"Oh nevermind... It's too troublesome to change now... let's just use these."

Awase said before pulling out something from her pocket. A pocket watch. Her second SSS weapon. Rabbit's foot.

"Oh shi-"

Click

Before Takako could say another word, Awase was right in front of her, her weapons ready to strike down. Takako barely had time to use her chains and block the attacks from above. But this left her side open and Awase sent her foot into Takako's abdomen and sent the small sized Builder of Guild flying. Before Takako could recover in the air, Awase appeared above her with a giant axe swinging above her head.

"Chains-"

"Too slow."

**BOOM**

Takako was sent flying towards the ground, impacting with such great velocity that a crater was formed. Takako had managed to stave off a large portion of the damage as her chain not only extended out, but it had also wrapped itself around her entire body under her clothes, forming a chain-mail like effect as a protective layer. But still, Awase was no joking matter. Her attacks were like 5 ton trucks ramming at full speed into her one after another. And the other problem was that pocket watch. The Rabbit's foot. Takako struggled out of the hole in the ground, pain wrecking throughout her body. She must have had almost all of her bones crushed. She coughed up blood onto the floor, her vision blurring.

It would be hard for her to continue fighting at this rate but she was the only one who could move. What made her think she could take on a Division leader all on her own? Not to mention a leader who could use a SSS ranked weapon. Even Saya had Rei's Angels to help her during the fight with Jinnai. The best part of this combination? She was fighting Kinoji Awase. THE Kinoji Awase. This crazy overload of a division leader has her stats peaking out at nearly SS each! If she bothers to try in the first place. The only thing that is preventing Awase from going all super-cheat-code is the fact that Awase is... lazy. Like the Sin she represents, Awase is lazy to do almost anything that is required of her. She could even sleep in the middle of battle, which she did earlier, and not care about a single thing that came her way. That was the only reason why Jinnai was assigned to help her and the Diversion division had two leaders in the end.

One who could make the decisions, and the other who holds the power to wield that authority. And with that power came the SSS weapons. Takako had believed that as long as Awase did not use Rabbit's foot, she could win. But even so, without it Awase is still strong. Rabbit's hole had the ability to call up any weapon that Awase so desired, setting the basis for what 'Wonderland' is. Rabbit's foot had to ability to make Awase faster, or in other sense, it could pause time and make Awase seem like she 'teleports'. This weapons is what creates the 'atmosphere' of Wonderland. Both are dangerous and together they form the most dangerous leader to fight against.

Click

"Done already?"

Takako looked up and saw Awase walking over to the edge of the crater, looking down at her. Takako smirked, spitting out some more blood.

"... Not even close."

* * *

Sloth. A Sin that represents the tardiness of man. It is the heavy chains that weigh down determination and the deterrence from success and victory. It is the seductive second path that would eventually lead us astray from our goals and engulf us whole. That means that the person who would personify Sloth would be able to do anything if they actually tried. Kinoji Awase is that very personification. Takako would not lie to herself. She does not know Awase's past that well, but only hearing bits and pieces of it. Awase herself did not bother to tell anyone anything and the most people got was if she had accidentally blurted out something.

From what Takako could piece together, Awase was from a rich family. She lived a happy life. But then some illness struck her, forcing her to be bed-ridden. From this point on, Takako had no more leads on Awase's past though something was telling her that she would not need to wait for long to understand the dark life of the person who would become the Diversion Division leader, Kinoji Awase. The sounds of the battle echoed through the hall as the two fighters continued to fight. Awase, using her ability to pick up any weapons and use them as her own, coupled with her Rabbit's foot weapon. Fighting against Takako, the one who uses her chain in addition to her basic knowledge of all the weapons available The two who were similar yet standing on opposite sides of the same path.

Awase slammed her foot on the ground, forcing the pistols on the ground to jump up from the shock wave of impact. Grabbing the pistols, Awase aimed them at Takako and fired in rapid succession. Takako used her chain and grabbed a shield nearby, bringing it before her. The shield managed to deflect the bullets and when Takako had a chance, she threw the shield at Awase. Like a boomerang, the shield flew straight towards Awase who emptied her pistols at the shield at an attempt to stop it. Her attacks did slow it down and she threw her pistols to the side, reaching out and perfecting the timing with the help of her Rabbit's foot to grab the shield when it flew towards her. Using her strength, Awase threw the shield back at Takako. The Guild fighter used her chains to criss-cross in front of her, creating a net that 'caught' the shield, stopping it in its tracks. A gunshot rang out, forcing a part of the chain wall to loosen. Takako pulled her chains back, seeing that Awase had now picked up a shotgun and was rushing towards her.

"Tch! Chains that bind!"

The chains of Takako shot out everywhere, reaching out and grabbing all sorts of weapons that lay scattered about. Using these weapons, Takako threw them at Awase. Swords, knives, spears, maces all flew towards the Diversion Division leader, who 'flickered' in and out of view, disappearing and reappearing somewhere else as she dodged the weapons that were flying towards her. Awase's weapon, Rabbit's foot. Each time she disappears, Awase has to press the timer on her pocket watch and each time she 'reappears', the watch is open, prompting Awase to snap it close and press the timer to stop. That is the key to activating Rabbit's foot. But even knowing this, Takako had no chance to stop Awase from using it as the division leader keeps that watch close to her at all times.

"But there's no meaning to it if I don't try! CHAINS!"

Takako raised her other hand as the other end of her chain shot out of that sleeve, burrowing into the ground. It snaked through the ground and shot out from underneath Awase, attempting to catch her but Awase pressed the timer-

Click

and she flickered out of sight, reappearing a few inches to the side.

"If one is not enough then- CHAINS!"

Takako threw the chain down once more. All over the area that Awase stood, the chains shot out of the ground in the hundreds. But Awase simply flickered in and out of sight like a ghost, dodging the chains with ease.

Click

She reappeared above on of Takako's chain, stepping on the top of the chain lightly and balancing herself at the top.

"Why do you keep trying so hard? ... Even if you know the wall before you... is insurmountable."

Awase asked, shoulder her shotgun whilst twirling her pocket watch.

"... Why do you keep fighting? ... You can see... you're no match for me... so why? Why keep trying? No matter what you do... no matter how much you put in... it amounts to nothing... your efforts... are all in vain."

**BANG**

A bullet flew past Awase, cutting off a small portion of her bangs. That shot wasn't from Takako. Who? Awase turned and saw to the side was a certain pink-haired girl, holding up a pistol with slightly shaking hands. The SSS member, Yui.

"N-Nothing is meaningless!"

Yui shouted at the Division leader.

"Nothing is meaningless as long you put your whole soul into it! As long as you give it your all then it would no longer be meaningless! If you give up because of something as simple as that then you will only make yourself more miserable! Only then would everything you do be meaningless!"

Yui shouted without a care for her own self. Takako did not know what this girl was doing or whether she was right in the head, but if there is one thing she can be certain of, is that this girl, Yui... is similar. To both Takako and Awase. The same predicament. Three people. Three pathways. Three destinations. Three outcomes. Three decisions. Three choices. Three resolves.

"... Don't you dare... say what... you want... girl."

Awase's voice was turning deeper and more dangerous. Takako knew this was dangerous. She immediately retracted her chains, forcing Awase to jump away from the chains, but she was aiming straight for Yui.

"I won't let you! Chains!"

Takako shouted, throwing both of her hands forward, shooting a whole multitude of chains in-between Awase and Yui, forcing Awase to retreat. Using her chains, Takako grabbed Yui and pulled her towards her.

"Nya!"

Was all Yui could say before she was yanked off her feet and brought over to Takako.

"I've got to hand to you. You're not as worthless as I thought."

Takako smirked, releasing Yui when the latter reached her position. Takako eyed the pistol in Yui's hand. Not exactly safe.

"I'll take that."

Takako said, snatching the pistol from Yui's hands. The gun is more dangerous to them in Yui's hand than it is in Awase's.

"You have your own weapon, don't you? Use it."

Though Takako regretted saying that almost immediately when Yui pulled out her own weapon. Her guitar.

"... IS THAT IT? !"

_[Yui suffers 10 damage]_

"Ow! B-but you told me to use my own!"

Well, that was true. Takako could not really fault Yui for that. Still... a guitar?

"... Well... it might be good to distract Awase."

Takako muttered. Or it could put Awase to sleep.

"... Sigh, nothing ventured nothing gained. Just... just play something."

Takako sighed, turning her attention back to Awase.

"Sorry to keep you waiting-... Again?"

"ZZZ"

_[Awase is asleep]_

* * *

_[Background music]_

_[Crow Song]_

_[Singer: Yui]_

The chains of Takako flew out towards Awase, who dodged the chains with ease. Twisting her body around before firing her shotgun at Takako, who brought up a bed frame that was lying around to block the shot. Awase landed on the ground, tossing aside her shotgun and kicking the large object next to her, which just so happened to be a howitzer. The large gun fired straight at Takako, who used her chains to pull herself out of danger. Awase spun her body around, kicking the bottom of the cannon to force its angle higher before kicking the lever that fired the gun. Takako dodged the rounds that Awase fired by using her chains to constantly pull her out of danger's way.

"You're not to only one to use weapons in a ridiculous way."

Takako smirked, spreading her arms out as her chains shot out of the sleeves of her blazer in all direction, grabbing different weapons from all over. The chains that held edged and blunt weapons shot forward, whilst the other chains that held projectile and ranged weaponry steadied and aim themselves at the enemy before firing. Awase kicked the howitzer at its edge, sending the giant cannon spinning into position between her and the attacks Takako used, deflecting the bullets from the guns. The swords and spears snaked around the howitzer and chased after Awase, who jumped back and slammed her foot into the ground, sending the array of weaponry in the ground up into the air, creating a wall between her and the attacks from Takako.

"... Hm?"

Takako noticed something whilst she continued to attack. Awase was... dodging. This was weird. Why wasn't she using Rabbit's foot? With that weapon, Awase could easily disappear and reappear somewhere else. But now... Awase wasn't using it. Why? Takako also noticed that Awase kept trying to change the battle towards where Yui was though Takako made sure that Awase did not bring the battle anywhere close to where the SSS guitarist was. But why was Awase trying so hard? There must be something that Yui did that changed Awase. Was it what Yui said? No, it can't be. Takako had angered the division leader at the beginning of this entire fight but that did not stop Awase from using her full power. So what was diff-

"... Music?"

Takako remembered something about the fight before Yui started singing... The sound of Awase's watch. Whenever Awase activated her watch, there was that definite clicking sound from that watch. But how can sound do something like making Awase disappear and reappearing? And even if that were the case, Yui's music would not be enough to drown out that watch's clicking sound. Unless...

"... That watch... Rabbit's foot. It doesn't affect you... does it?"

Takako asked, realizing the 'trick' behind the watch. Awase landed lightly on her feet, pulling out her watch whilst narrowing her eyes at Takako.

"... You figured it out... didn't you?"

Awase asked, her voice slightly strained.

"It took some time, but I finally realized why you stopped using it when Yui started to play her song... that watch... uses sound to distort my perception of time."

Takako deduced with a smile. Awase's face contorted into a face of pure anger for a split second before she calmed down.

"..."

Awase stayed silent. Bingo.

"I've heard of how sound can change the reaction time as well distort perception of time of those listening to it. Much like how music in an elevator makes the passengers think the ride is shorter than it really is. However what your watch is capable of doing is way beyond that. It completely halts my perception of time, and thus by extension, all of the attacks I do to you. Looks like the impossible wall is looking very climbable now."

Takako smirked. However Awase was not looking too pleased.

"... You... what would you know..."

Awase growled.

"... You.. have not faced true despair... true helplessness... WHAT THE HELL DO YOU KNOW ABOUT IMPOSSIBLE WALLS? !"

Awase snapped, grabbing a nearby spear and throwing it at Takako. But this attack lacked the power... lacked the skill. Takako did not even need to step aside as the spear flew harmlessly pass her. Awase was in full rage but something in her had snapped. The power of SIN was waning. Only the human soul, the Diversion leader, Kinoji Awase remained. Was it due to Takako saying something that was close to Awase's painful past? By saying something that really struck a chord with Awase, Takako effectively brought out the human part of Awase, weakening the division leader. But she was still a division leader.

"THE WALLS THAT BECAME SO HIGH THAT IT WOULD BLOCK OUT THE SUN! THOSE LIES! THOSE DISDAINFUL EYES! I HATE THEM! HATE THEM ALL!"

.

.

.

Kinoji Awase. Only daughter and heiress to the Kinoji Conglomerate She had everything she needed. A wealthy lifestyle, the best education, the best clothing, and no difficulties in her daily life. She was rich, sophisticated, pampered and doted on. She wasn't too overly proud of her rich lifestyle, having been educated since young on mannerism and the vast differences between social statuses. But while she wasn't proud of it, she did not seem to be able to connect with the lifestyle of not having anything she wanted. It became a habit that anything she wanted, it would be provided. Maybe even came to the point where she would receive what she wanted before she even voiced it out. Everything was done for her and so she came to expect nothing... and everything. But it wasn't meant to be.

Awase liked ballet. She always did. Admired her aunt who danced professionally, and thus she practised hard. Day in and day out. Hired the most expensive coaches money could buy to train her. She enjoyed doing it. If she could continue doing it. Tragedy struck when she collapsed one day and was rushed to the hospital. Upon waking from her unconsciousness, she was told one devastation news. She had cancer. Leukaemia. Her dreams were shattered and her mind spiralled into despair. No amount of medication, no amount of doctors money could get would be able to cure her. It was terminal and her mind simply gave up.

As her body functions began to shut down, she became bed-ridden, confined to her bed with only servants coming in and out of her room to assist her. Her parents could not bare to see her. Her friends, if she could call them that, did not show up after a few weeks. Everything was simply over for her. And as she stared at the ceiling above, she had to wonder, what did she do wrong? Why was it that she had to suffer this sort of disappointment? To be gifted with a blessed life and when she finally found a goal everything around her collapsed. She hated it. Hated what life threw at her. Hated the burden of despair.

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.

.

"Helplessness? You simply gave up! You did not even try to do anything about your own predicament!"

Takako snapped, using her chains to throw a cannon at Awase, who punched her way through.

"I HAD NO CHOICE!"

"YOU ALWAYS HAVE A CHOICE!"

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.

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Goudatera Takako. A young girl born to a normal family. A father, a mother, an older brother. But unlike the rest of her family, she could not stay at home. She could only stay in the hospital since young. Born with a genetic defect that made her heart rate extremely irregular, she had to be constantly monitored. She lost count how many times her heart went into cardiac arrest after the first month. But she tried to find something else to distract herself with. She played around with anything she could find. Toilet rolls, bed linens, curtains, pens, pencils, bowls and even stalks of flowers.

Her brother, who visited every day, often shared stories of his life in school. He read to her story books and shared elaborate tales of mystery and wonder. She loved those stories and tried to make things that would resemble the characters. Her imagination was her free reign, her kingdom. Even as she grew older, her imagination did not stop. She took an interest in things that were of no value and yet despite such knowledge being deemed useless or pointless in the eyes of others, she still persisted in learning such things.

She took joy in the smallest things in life, never minding how trivial or small that thing may be in the larger scheme of life. But she knew that her life was ending. Her heart, frail and broken, would fail for its last time. She wanted to know more. She loved life too much that she wanted to continue living. To live till she grew old, till she had no more teeth, surrounded by books and the crazy little inventions of hers in a small room. She wanted to live.

.

.

.

"You had freedom! I had lost mine!"

"You had everything! You simply lost yourself in despair because you could not do what you wanted to do any longer!"

"I invested my whole life into it! Do you know what it is like to have everything taken away from you?!"

"I DO."

Yui shot back at Awase's words, strumming her strings hard.

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.

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Kitamura Yui. A young girl who was involved in an accident and was paralysed from her waist down. She was a kind girl who constantly worried for what sorts of problems she was causing for others. The burden she was on her mother was too great for her to bear. The loneliness of being at home all day was suffocating. This was not the type of life she wanted to live. She wanted more. And she wanted to thank her mother for being there for her. But things were never so straight forward. Joining the SSS in the previous war, Yui had sought out many different types of experiences, trying to make up for all of the time she lost being confined to her bed. At she found the one thing that she wanted the most. Someone she loved who loved her back. Her boyfriend, Hinata.

Of course he may only be going along with the flow mainly to let her pass on but she was sure that his feelings were real. That his words were true. And so she passed on. Entering the next life, she met him once more. And true enough his words from back then were not false. She regained hope. She had lost everything and the feelings of indebtedness to those who tried to help her was great. But in the end she found someone who was willing to accept it and help her back up.

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"The decision of giving up simply because it seems too hard, or because the odds are stacked against you is too ridiculous!"

Takako shouted, throwing more swords and spears at Awase. The division leader twisted and turned her body to dodge the attacks but the barrage of weapons would still slice and cut as no matter how powerful Awase may be, she wasn't invincible.

"I couldn't do anything! I was bed ridden for the rest of my life! What could you expect me to do in that state of misery? !"

Awase snapped, slamming her foot down on the ground, forcing all of the weapons around her to jump up. Moving her hands and legs at incredible speeds, Awase sent the weapons back at Takako, who used her chains to knock them away.

"You weren't miserable! That time you had! That was your own time! You simply lay there wasting your own life away!"

"Time was taken away from me!"

"Time wasn't taken from you! you merely wasted it by drowning in your own sorrows!"

Takako grabbed a nearby machine gun and sprayed the bullets at Awase who kicked a bed up to defend her from the hail of lead.

"My life was a great life! Why did God have to be so unfair and take it all away from me? ! Was he taunting me? ! Giving me everything I needed before snatching it all away? !"

Awase shouted, kicking the bed towards Takako who simply used her chain to grab the bed and fling it away harmlessly.

"Don't blame everything on God you idiot!"

Yui snapped from the side, making Awase flinch.

"God isn't a handyman to help you on every simple whim, he isn't the focus of your problems and he isn't someone you can simply blame in times of trouble! Don't blame others for your own weakness! For your own short-comings and for your own problems! If you are faced with difficulties, FACE THEM HEAD-ON! The moment you lose hope is the moment you will love everything!"

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU KNOW ABOUT ME? !"

Awase snapped, focusing her anger at Yui now.

"I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT YOU AND I SURE AS WELL DON'T WANT TO! Why should I know anything about a spoilt rich girl who doesn't have to lift a finger to get things done and yet when faced with her own problems she simply runs, cowers in fear and gives in? YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TRUE DESPAIR IS SO DON'T YOU DARE TALK TO US ABOUT DESPAIR AND HARDSHIPS YOU DAMN SPOILT BRAT!"

_[Yui activated skill]_

_[Power levels in over-drive]_

_[Yui-Nyan power released]_

_[SSS Ultimate skill]_

"SHIN-GI: Takara no Akashi [Proof of Treasure]"

The sounds from Yui's guitar vibrated throughout the hallways, sending vibrations to Awase that it paralysed her muscles.

"You did good, SSS singer, now it's my turn to end this!"

Takako jumped back and raised her hands out.

_[Angel Program: Rei, activated]_

_[Power levels 400%]_

_[Full drive; engage]_

"Shin-gi: Tori no Kago [Bird Cage]"

From her sleeves, thousands of chains shot out in all directions, grabbing anything and everything around her, including the large cruiser ship.

"Laziness is never the excuse. It is merely a distraction. If you have the capacity to do something, do it beyond your limits. The time you waste is no one's but your own."

Takako muttered before throwing her hands forward, sending everything she had at Awase. Including that cruiser ship. Before the weapons hit Awase, the division leader smiled.

"... Maybe you're right."

_[Awase received 80000000 damage]_

_[Awase is defeated]_

* * *

With Awase defeated, the sleeping spell on everyone in the group was broken and they started to wake up one by one. Awase sat down on the floor, leaning against the hull of the giant ship that was used to crush her in the finishing blow whilst being surrounded by the Angles of Rei, their weapons all pointing towards her in readied stance if she would dare to do anything suspicious.

"... Heh, I won't do anything. I'm too lazy to do something as troublesome as that."

Awase muttered, waving off that notion.

"We can't be too careful, now can we?"

Rei asked back in reply. Awase merely smiled, leaning back against the hull.

"Well... I guess so... Sigh, what a troublesome thing I've gotten myself into... Well... it doesn't matter now."

"Huh? What did you-"

**BOOM**

The tower suddenly shook violently, making everyone alert by this sudden explosion.

"W-what was that?"

"... So... it has begun."

Awase muttered.

"What has started?"

Rei asked, to which Awase looked at him with a soft look.

"... The Apocalypse Program."

"WHAT? !"

Rei shouted in surprise.

"I-it can't be! We're in specially made rooms that can alter time and space so how could we feel such a thing happen now?"

"Because of this..."

Awase pointed to her clothes.

"... ALICE Armour... The weapons... when they fuse with us... it triggers a mechanism... that mechanism is the key... to starting the program..."

This news was shocking to everyone. The SSS weapons were the key to starting the end of the World? And because they fought Awase and she activated her weapons, the program had started as well? This was more certainly not in Rei's predictions.

"Is there anyway to stop it remotely?"

Rei asked, to which Awase merely shook her head.

"... No... there isn't... Once it has begun, the timer will start... and it will not stop..."

Awase sighed, closing her eyes.

"... But... if you defeat each holder of a SSS weapon... the timer will slow down... That... is your only hope... So Katsuragi... you know what you have to do."

"... Are you sure?"

Rei asked. Awase merely smiled at his question.

"I'm very sleepy... and I plan to sleep for a long time... Because when I wake... I feel like I would be able to do... anything."

"... I see."

Rei said, nodding in approval before raising his sword.

"... Good night, Kinoji Awase, the sleeping Diversion Leader."

"... And good morning to you, Katsuragi Rei, the unwilling saviour."

_[Katsuragi Rei used Blue Gear]_

_[Access: Insanity Streak]_

_[Corruption absorption in progress]_

_[...]_

_[...]_

_[...]_

_[Purge complete]_

* * *

A/N: Well, that's it for now. I'll be updating my blog with more drawings so if you want, keep looking it up. I don't update regularly as I'm not a professional artist so don't be so hopeful. Maybe once every month?


	50. Chapter 50

A/N: Well, I'm officially unemployed. I haven't been accepted into any University for Graduate studies and so... I'm officially a NEET. This sucks...

I won't say much about my delay, you guys know me too well by now. I went on a long holiday to Japan and Australia after I left the Military and did not touch my computer for sometime.

To answer my dear flamer's inquiry into why I don't write Original stories.

- For one, this story is 'successful' mainly due to its connection to an established story, therefore people who know the story would read it.

- Two, it does not mean that since I do not use the characters from the series (Which I actually do by quite a whole bunch), that it can be made into an original story. A story is made of its characters, settings, environment, plot and etc. I may not be using the original characters much, but I am borrowing the story setting and backstory. For example. If I wrote a story on hogwarts but none of the characters from the "Harry Potter" series pops up, would it still be considered a "Harry Potter" story? Or an Original Story? Obviously it is the former. All of the original characters are going through an 'Afterlife' School after suffering some injustice in their life. If I placed this as an original story, it will be drawing TOO MUCH from Angel Beats! and besides, the original Angel Beats! Characters are integral to my story.

- Three, I have tried writing original stories. They never end well... In fact, they just DO NOT END. Period. I do believe it is due to my constant writing of fanfics that even if I DO end an original story, I will simply find someway to write a sequel, and another sequel, and another. It is the inherent nature of fanfic writers to keep a story going after it has ended.

Well, enough about that. There is an official announcement from Key in Japan that I believe anyone still reading my story and any Angel Beats! story should know!

KEY HAS OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED AN ANGEL BEATS! GAME.

YAY! Congrats to us all! Now obviously the game will be based on the anime and knowing Key and their works, it will be a visual novel / dating sim type of game. Does that mean you can now go on a date with Shiina? I really hope so.

Okay okay, now for the story. For those of you who need a recap, here is what is going on in the story thus far:

- SSS have returned to the Afterlife to find it in the middle of a war

- They team up with the leaders of the SSS2 and charge into the dark tower that is in the middle of the now-warped school grounds.

- They battle upwards the towers, defeating the Division leaders who are the key to starting the Apocalypse program with their SSS weapons

- Tachibana Kanade and Kamiya Yuzuru are heading towards the basement of the tower

Well, that's it for now. For those still not sure on where my blog is, it is this:

flamingnoodletoiletbowls () wordpress () com

Please fill in the blanks with the appropriate symbols.

Now enjoy!

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 50_

_Greed / "Two heads of Guild"_

They ran. Ran because they knew that it would be too late if they didn't. They were now running against a clock they had no idea how much time was left on. They could not wait for the drowsiness of the hall of sloth to disappear completely, forcing their bodies to run as fast as they could up the spiralling stairway of the black tower. This entire war was on the brink of ending, and not in the way they wanted it to. The Apocalypse program, the one thing that they had all gathered together to stop, had been activated when Awase used her SSS weapons. The tower was starting to rumble and the walls tremble. Time was running out.

"Katsuragi!"

Shuusuke shouted as he ran to the front of the group to catch up with Rei.

"What is it?"

Rei asked without slowing his pace up the stairs.

"You do know that at this rate, we won't make it."

"You don't need to state the obvious. What are you thinking?"

Rei asked.

"... You know what I'm thinking of."

Shuusuke merely replied. Rei shifted his gaze to Shuusuke for the moment, before looking back forward.

"... It is reckless, not to mention difficult."

"But we have no choice and you know this."

Rei said nothing in reply as he had none. He knew what had to be done but the risks were too great and they only had one shot at this. The rumbling of the tower got louder, signalling the group to hurry in their pace.

"I hope this place doesn't start falling apart."

Kyou muttered, looking around nervously at the crumbling walls.

"They'll hold, until we defeat the last boss."

Yuri said in reply while she practically started jumping steps to speed her pace.

"What makes you say that?"

Kyou asked back.

"My gut... and the fact that it always happens in video games and movies."

"This isn't a game or a show."

"It is still a story. And besides, stories always have a strange habit of turning for the better."

Kyou wanted to refute that theory but she kept her words to herself. Somehow, she felt that what the leader of the SSS was saying is true, as much as she hates to admit it. Admitting it felt like losing and though in what exact aspect she might be losing in is unknown, it is still the fact that she would lose. She hates losing. Period.

"Alright boys and girls, I hope you've settled your little inner mental argument because we have reached."

Yuri spoke up, making all look up and see the large pair of doors that stood before them. On the door was the carving of men holding onto large chests and bags, each holding upon their shoulders and seemingly more than they can carry and yet still persist to carry or drag more bags.

"... This doesn't look so bad."

Yuri said, looking at the relief on the wall. The SSS2 members of the group, however, begged to disagree.

"This is bad. Real bad."

Kyou muttered. This was starting to tick Yuri off. Just how many times do these SSS2 want to prove her wrong?

"You said that about the previous one as well. Just how high of a hurdle are you guys putting up for yourselves?"

Yuri asked to which Rei shook his head.

"You do not understand, Yuri-san. The previous battle was dangerous mainly due to the fact that we had never faced a SSS2 Division leader who wields a SSS weapon before. Inclusive of the fact that Kinoji Awase has her stats like a wild card, constantly changing on a whim. At times she can be the third most powerful person in the SSS2, and others she can be the weakest. The one behind this door, however, is like a power house without a limit. A whole different level of dangerous."

Rei said, explaining to the SSS leader about the possible dangers behind this door though at this point it wasn't 'possible' dangers, but rather 'inevitable dangers'.

"So... the one behind this door is the strongest? Is it that... Kurogane person?"

Yuri asked, but Rei shook his head once more.

"Kou has her limits. Though she may be extremely powerful, her body is unable to withstand the power she exerts. The one behind here, however, is like a waterfall. Going on without limits, without pause. Always going at full force and never forgiving."

"That sounds... dangerous."

Rei smiled at that answer.

"Yes... Dangerous indeed, however in that unrelenting force, there is a weakness. For someone who only knows how to release all of their power constantly without pause, they would only charge off blindly."

"And who exactly is this person?"

Yuri asked as Rei walked forward and pushed the doors open. Pass the doors was a giant factory. No, not factory.

"This is... Guild? !"

Kyou stared in shock. Indeed it was Guild, more specifically, Big Site, and the group just walked into the main square where standing at the centre of the square was a young woman with her dirtied overalls hanging by her waist.

"... That is the one who fights without limits. The leader of Guild. Himura Yuuko."

* * *

The group walked through the doors and into the square of Guild. Or what seemed to be Guild. The space that recreated Guild was large, almost as large as the real Guild however there were some differences. The central elevator that leads from the train platform to Big Site was missing. The giant onsen palace at the far end of Guild was also missing. The last thing missing? People. Guild, Big Site in particular, was hardly empty and even Yamato had instructed several people to remain in Guild to maintain the factory despite throwing every person capable bearing arms to the front lines. This place wasn't Guild, but rather it was an empty copy of the glory of Guild. The structures, while solid and real, lacked the 'soul' of Guild. The smell, the cuts, the dirt. A ghost.

"Hmm... I've always wanted to see what my successors would do to my old workshop. Looks like nothing much has changed."

Chaa, the leader of Guild during the age of the SSS, said, stepping forward.

"Of course nothing has changed. Why change something that works?"

The young woman who stood at the centre of the square spoke up.

"I take it you are the new leader of Guild."

Chaa said, to which the young woman smiled.

"Yes. I am Himura Yuuko. Your successor in both name... and soul."

Yuuko pulled out from behind her a giant hammer. It wasn't the type of hammer you would normally find, but rather it looked strange like an old stone hammer used by warriors of an old age long past. It was similar in shape to the hammer on the Guild's emblem. Everyone seemed to be on edge at her action. All except for the leader of Guild, Chaa.

"Hmm, that's an interesting weapon you have there. I'm still not sure how you guys managed to pull off making weapons that exceed memories, but it sure looks interesting to try."

Chaa smirked, pulling out a pistol. At the sight of his weapon, Yuuko laughed.

"Ha ha ha! Is that all you have, Predecessor-san? A pistol? You should have brought a larger gun!"

Yuuko gloated but Chaa did not seem fazed in the slightest.

"A larger gun doesn't suit me."

He merely said, before raising the pistol and aiming it at Yuuko. It was at this moment that Yamato remembered something. When Yuri first appeared on the battlefield before Yamato and Kyou, she used a pistol to take down an Angel, and that pistol was surely not loaded with a normal pistol round. That would mean-

BOOM

Like the case with Yuri, Chaa's pistol shot off an explosion rather than a single bullet. And from the explosion, Yuuko was sent flying off in one direction.

"Most likely that would not have finished her off. You guys need to go on ahead. I'll deal with her."

Chaa told them before walking in the same direction as where Yuuko went.

"C-Chaa? You can't be serious! That's a Division leader! You have no idea what sort of power-"

"Don't worry too much, Yurippe. This is Guild. Though it is not the Guild that I built up and cared for, it is still Guild nonetheless. And as such, I will not lose. Trust me."

Chaa smiled, though Yuri was still not convinced.

"But-"

"Let's just let him do it. We are running out of time ourselves so it would be better if we leave this to him and move on."

Rei cut her off. That was the one thing that Yuri could not argue back against. She bit her lip and dug her nails deep into her palm.

"... Fine. We'll go. But remember this Chaa. I am giving you an order. Survive and win this."

Yuri said, before turning and heading off in the direction of the doorway that would lead to the other side. Chaa merely smiled at that.

"Whatever you say, princess."

"Chaa-san. Catch."

Rei tossed a small box to the Guild leader, who caught it and looked at it. It was a box of ammunition.

"That box contains five rounds with my essence in it as well as an automatic executing program for purging. It allows other people such as yourself to purge the madness, but only use it once the Division leader has been defeated. Physically, mentally and emotionally."

Rei instructed.

"You've been preparing for such an occasion, haven't you?"

Chaa asked with a slight smirk, to which Rei merely shrugged.

"It is always good to be prepared for all possible outcomes to occur. Knowing you SSS, you would most likely take this sort of course of action, not that it is a bad thing thought. Well, good luck, SSS Guild leader."

Chaa nodded and put the box into his pocket, watching as the group exited the hall, leaving him in the square.

"So, they're finally gone?"

Yuuko spoke up, stepping out from behind one of the buildings, seemingly unscathed.

"You're being awfully forgiving, letting the rest go just like that."

Chaa added, turning around to face the SSS2 Guild leader, who simply shrugged her shoulders.

"I have no qualm with letting them go, after all, the end is inevitable."

Yuuko smirked, slamming her hammer into the ground.

"But tell me something, my dear predecessor, what exactly is that gun? If you lack the memories, you couldn't make something out of the extraordinary, am I right?"

Yuuko quizzed, to which Chaa closed his eyes for the moment, before looking at her.

"When we first came back to this World, I realized that the very air and the place that we were used to had changed dramatically. The weapons that we were supplied with also seemed to be very different from the ones we were used to, as such, memories were no longer a necessary component."

Chaa explained, raising his pistol.

"Memories still make up the basic shape. Logic dictates how it works, but with this... 'black essence', as you all have taken to calling it, the end result is something off the charts."

Chaa failed to mention about the SSS's mysterious benefactor but he wasn't sure about who this benefactor was in the first place. Yuri and Yuzuru seemed to have some inclination on who that person is but they would not share their information with anyone else. Well not that that matters to Chaa. All that matters is that he managed to learn some very interesting new techniques managed to recreate the type of weapons used. In other words, he wasn't just any SSS Guild leader. He is a SSS Guild leader with a whole load of fire power.

But his opponent is someone who stands at a far greater advantage compared to himself. He wasn't all too sure whether he could take on the successor to his name but he was sure not going to let Yuri hear about it. Isn't it embarrassing to have a student to beat the teacher? Not embarrassing for the student, maybe, but for the teacher it would be a near death level of humiliation. Well, he wasn't her teacher in the first place but it was the same thing. So he would have to bet everything on his knowledge on weaponries, which weren't much compared to the types of ridiculous weapons the SSS2 were pushing out.

"Well then, predecessor-san, why don't we play for awhile? Let us see if the present... is better than the past?"

With that, Yuuko readied her hammer. Chaa sighed, shaking his head.

"This... is going to get tough."

_[Boss Fight]_

_[3rd Division Leader: Guild]_

_[Himura Yuuko]_

_[Alignment: Chaotic Evil]_

_[Type: Greed]_

_[Level: 200_

_HP: 800000000_

_MP: 800000000_

_Strength: A_

_Agility: B_

_Endurance: S_

_Luck: D]_

_[Weapons List:_

_- Mjolnir (Rank SSS)]_

_- Weapons from Dirt (All created weapons are Rank A)]_

_VS_

_[SSS Guild Leader]_

_[Chaa]_

_[Alignment: Neutral]_

_[Level: 90_

_HP: 800000_

_MP: 5000000_

_Strength: A_

_Agility: B_

_Endurance: A_

_Luck: B]_

_[Weapons List:_

_- Weapons from Dirt (All created weapons are Rank S)]_

* * *

Tough was not really a word to define the difficulty that Chaa was facing. Ducking under a giant swing from Yuuko's hammer, he rolled across the dirt and bringing his pistol up to aim. He fired a shot but Yuuko swung her ammo, knocking the shot away. The round flew behind Yuuko where it hit a building, causing a large explosion from the impact. Without waiting, Yuuko charged straight at Chaa, swinging her giant hammer down on him. Chaa had limited knowledge on Black Essence but he wasn't just sitting back during the past few fights. He had observed the battles, observed the weapons and their usage. He still not managed to get an overall grasp on the concept of Black Essence but it was enough at this point. Enough for him to grab a fist full of dirt and slam it into the ground.

Chaa realized that unlike during the time of the SSS, the presence of Essences made it possible to not only create weapons that were unique or could escape the logic of reality, but it could also speed up building time to be incredibly short. And such was this point when he grabbed the fist full of dirt. With one slam, he created a large thick metal stick. And using this stick he stopped Yuuko's attack but letting it stand and take the full brunt of the attack with the ground as a support. But Yuuko's hammer would not be so easily stopped and Chaa knew it. He quickly rolled away from under the hammer before the stick gave way and Yuuko's hammer crashed into the ground.

"Oho? Predecessor-san, you're quite good, being able to create an object so quickly."

Yuuko mused, her fanged smile showing a hint of interest.

"Well, you're not too bad yourself."

Yuuko smirked, shouldering her large hammer.

"You're not using your full strength though."

Chaa noted, to which Yuuko merely laughed.

"Ha ha ha! Against someone like you, I don't need my full strength!"

"... But you are the symbol of Greed. Shouldn't you be going at full strength at all times?"

Chaa asked though he really shouldn't be asking such questions. It tends to be a death flag.

"... Now that you mention it, I guess that's right."

Yuuko said after some thought. Yup, death flag.

"Truth be told, each and everyone has a little sin within us all. But it is up to us just how we interpret each and every sin to our own selves. Now it is time for you to know why my SIN is infinite."

Yuuko smirked before she took her hammer and slammed it into the ground, causing a giant shock wave that rippled throughout the cavern.

"For my word is law."

_[Program: Initialized]_

_[Corruption level: 1000%]_

_[Engaging DEMON protocol]_

_"I am the largest of all Sins._

_I am the bottomless pit,_

_The dark abyss of infinity._

_I am the great Earth,_

_Claiming all on my vast lands._

_I am the corrupter of minds,_

_The defiler of intentions,_

_The infinite cycle of love and hatred._

_I am one who can force the calmest of men to be a savage beast._

_I am the dark poison that shall seep into your souls._

_You more you seek the more you will desire,_

_An endless quest for the endless horizon._

_Pursue those that do not matter,_

_Keep those that matter._

_None are free from my reach,_

_None can escape from grasp._

_History shall forever remember my name,_

_My power and my darkness._

_Collection is my calling,_

_Hoarding is my creed._

_I am the sin that can never be fulfilled._

_I am Behemoth_

_I am Avarita_

_I am Greed."_

_[Behemoth; Activate]_

_[Boss Fight]_

_[Incarnation of Greed: Behemoth]_

_[Himura Yuuko]_

_[MJOLNIR; Activated]_

_[MJOLNIR equipped]_

_[Level: 300_

_HP: 10000000000_

_MP: 5000000000_

_Strength: AAA_

_Agility: B_

_Endurance: SS_

_Luck: D]_

_[Weapons List:_

_- MJOLNIR Armour (Rank SSS)_

_- MJOLNIR (Rank SSS)_

_- Tower of Babylon (Rank SSS)]_

* * *

Chaa knew that his only chance to beat Yuuko was to finish her off quickly. Like her SIN, the Guild leader of SSS2 was seemingly absorbing the essence around her, making her more powerful with each passing second. It was not known just how much more powerful she could get. Dodging under the swing of her giant hammer, Chaa rolled to take cover behind one of the shops but his cover did not last long as the hammer smashed right through the shop house with ease. It was made worse for Chaa since the destruction of the buildings meant that Yuuko could absorb the essences around her faster. Much like how you would boil potatoes. If you leave the potato as it is, the boiling process would take some time. However if you were to break apart the potato and cut them into small chunks to increase surface area, they would cook much better.

"WHO CARES ABOUT A DAMN POTATO? !"

Chaa snapped, dodging another swing from Yuuko's hammer.

"Predecessor-san, if you keep getting distracted, your head will fly."

Yuuko said, slamming her hammer down.

"And potatoes are nice things to eat. Don't you like them?"

"I prefer rice."

Chaa said, jumping back from the impact. Yuuko stood back up straight, leaning against her standing hammer for support. Her MJOLNIR armour was like a mix of modern dressing and a terrible old man who worked at a steel factory. Her tight top barely covered the top half of her chest. Her pants was torn and the entire right side was gone. Wearing a coat that she buttoned only mid way, she had a strange device on her left arm that looked like a small shield but with such crazy attack power she had no reason to shield herself. The most prominent feature of her armour were the two strange floating... things, by her hips. They looked a whole lot like potato chips, if they were the size of her legs and be hovering around shooting things out from their tips and rocket boosting Yuuko around the place. Seriously, in terms of out-of-this-World ideas? Hers would take the cake. If there was cake in the first place.

"Oh, like these toys of mine, Predecessor-san?"

Yuuko smiled, patting on of the large floating things by her side like a pet dog.

"They're too unrealistic. How did you create them?"

Chaa asked, trying to buy some time while he made more weapons.

"You want to know? I'll tell you! It's because... IT'S ME!"

.

.

.

.

.

What? No seriously, back up a little. What did she say?

"You see, nobody in this World can create things that doesn't... that cannot exist outside the bounds of reality. But... Why?"

Yuuko asked with a slight curl of her fanged lips.

"Why can't we have something that we wish for? Why must we be tied down by the complications of life? Why can't we have everything?"

Yuuko raised her hand skyward, as though trying to reach for something, but then stopped, clenching her fist and bringing it close to her chest.

"This sort of life... is unnecessary. We were made to break limits, to break the bonds that were set for us! We evolved to be greater than anything else on this planet! We became the masters of our lives! We conquered diseases! We conquered disasters! We became masters of fate! ... And yet... we created limits for ourselves. Made the sky as high as we could go. Dig deep as far as to the core below. We became aware... of limitations."

Yuuko's voice became strained, darker.

"Why do we lie to ourselves? Telling ourselves that we could do whatever we wanted? Telling us that we could be whatever we wished to be? When all of it were simply lies. We cannot be anything more than what limits us. A farmer cannot be a politician. A teacher cannot aspire to be an astronaut. A sailor can never dream of a pilot. We are all locked in a fate that we created for ourselves. All limited... by our realities... and by time of our fragile lives."

Chaa knew what Yuuko was saying as he too had faced the pain and grievance of loss. He had sought freedom, acting outside of the rules of society but in the end it all amounted to nothing. To be someone or something when you were nothing is a fleeting dream. To obtain what was unobtainable was a lie. And even if you should be able to grasp in your hands what you could not, the dream would only disappear sooner or later.

"And so... when I came to this World, I decided on one thing."

Yuuko said, lifting up her hammer and shouldering it.

"In this World where time does not exist, where pain and injury can be reverted. Where death is only a word. I SHALL REMAKE THE LAWS OF LIFE!"

Raising her hammer high above her head, Yuuko used all of her might to bring down the heavy weapon into the ground, causing giant cracks to form all over.

**"EXEC_ANGELPROGRAM : / / / SYSTEM_LINK WEAPONS_SKILL \ TOWER OF BABYLON; ACTIVATE"**

Erupting from the cracks as the point of impact, a giant object shot out of the ground like a geyser. And that object was something Chaa thought he would never see again. A large cannon structure on top of a train flat bed. With a round so large it had to be holstered into the cannon's barrel with chains and pulleys.

"Look familiar, predecessor-san?"

Yuuko laughed, standing at the top of the large gun.

"Y-you, that weapon is-"

"The same one you tried to use back then against your enemy in an effort to stall for time for this large Guild site, didn't you? Of course, it didn't work for you back then because you all had feeble thoughts about it. Could not know how it worked nor actually believed that it would work. FAITH, however, can bring you only so far. What you needed... WAS ABSOLUTE POWER AND CONVICTION!"

Yuuko slammed her hammer into the lever that triggered the cannon to fire.

**BOOM**

Chaa only managed to jumped out of his cover just in time before the wall he hid behind blew up from the giant round fired from the cannon that he had once thought impossible to build. The giant rail cannon. It was once used by the Germans during World War II but no one really knew of its specifics. If you looked it up hard enough you might be able to find it but for the builders of SSS, they did not know. Only pictures of it were all they had to go by with and thus they thought it impossible to build and make it work. This person however, was able to create it without using up time or materials that are necessary to make such weapons. Rather, with just one hit of her hammer, she somehow 'conjured' up the large weapon. And worse of all she made it work. Defying the laws of both the World of the living as well as the laws of this World, Himura Yuuko had just shown that she would be able to make anything she so pleased with her hammer. In other words, she could play 'God'. Anything and everything was at her disposal, free to be remodelled however she liked. Just how would he, someone who used the old methods to make limited weapons, be able to defeat her? This was impossible for him!

"HA HA HA! What's the matter predecessor-san? Getting cold feet? ! Here's another round!"

Yuuko laughed as she whacked another round into the chamber and slammed it shut, firing it off.

**BOOM**

Chaa dodged the giant round as it flew past him and blew up in the building behind him. The explosion knocked him off his feet and sent him into the wall of another building.

"Oi oi, predecessor-san, you're making it too easy for me. What happened to all of that bravado you showed earlier? Let your comrades go ahead? Ha! What can you do when you're so weak?"

Yuuko snorted, jumping off the large cannon. She tapped the cannon with the handle of her hammer and the giant cannon disappeared.

"Now it merely seems like I'm bullying you. Well, I can't say that bullying is not my image though."

Yuuko sighed, walking over to the fallen SSS Guild leader.

"So... is this the best my predecessors can offer? As I thought, the limitations set in place are ridiculous and were meant to be broken."

She muttered, walking up to where Chaa still lay on the ground. She slammed her hammer down the ground, making it stand on its head.

"Do you not see now, predecessor-san? That everything you can amount to is useless? How can someone who still stays within the boundaries of reality ever hope to overcome someone who has no limits? Who lives within the realms of absurdity? It's like trying to fight a tsunami with a knife. What can you do but fail?"

Yuuko laughed, but then stopped when she noticed that Chaa was holding onto something.

"... Even if it is a knife..."

Chaa muttered, his face isn't showing one of despair, but rather... he was smiling. That was when Yuuko realized what he was holding in his hand.

"It is still... something."

He pressed the button on the remote, triggering the the mines that were under Yuuko to activate and go off.

**BOOM**

Chaa was blown away by the explosion but he was further away than before and he struggled up to his feet. Using the time when she was chasing him around, he had planted mines all over Guild and he knew it would come handy sooner or later. The smoke from the explosion cleared and it revealed that Yuuko did indeed had some form of defences in place. The large object on her left hand extended outward to create a shield, and at the same time the two large objects that floated around her had placed themselves between herself and the explosion. Still, it wasn't all for naught as Yuuko did show signs of being affected by the explosion. Yuuko looked down at her sleeve where it was torn and singed.

"..."

It was at this point that Chaa realized something. While Rei and the others of the SSS2 were not wrong to say that Yuuko was the type to go all-out from the get-go, they did not include the fact that Yuuko had kept her power under control with her sanity. However like all other Division leaders, the darkness had consumed the leader of Guild and transformed her into something else. And for the very reason that all animals had held onto the very basic of all instincts, the instincts of survival. Even humans, who had long forsaken the many instincts and relied more on their ability to think critically, still held onto the basic instincts of fight or flight. It was ingrained in every human being that the moment they perceived the situation as a threat to their own life, that they would either choose to fight whatever stood before them, or flee if the threat presented was deemed far too great for them to handle. It was such a situation that presented itself to Chaa at this point. Though to others, it may seem as though nothing has changed from Yuuko's outlook, the presence that she held at this point was something that could not be classified as normal. The amount of malice that irradiated from the Guild leader was immense, suffocating and causing a great pressure to create cracks in the floor and the surrounding area.

"... You... did something... you should not have."

Yuuko glared at Chaa.

"Do not... destroy... what... is MINE!"

Yuuko snapped, bringing her hammer high into the sky and slamming it into the ground.

**"EXEC_ANGELPROGRAM : / / / SYSTEM_LINK WEAPONS_SKILL \ TOWER OF BABYLON; ACTIVATE"**

From the ground a giant tank like vehicle emerged. Fierce with spikes protruding forward, triangular in shape and having three main cannons.

"FIRE AWAY!"

Yuuko stomped her foot on the tank and the three cannons fired. Chaa ran, dodging most of the fire and debris from the cannon fire. Chaa brought out another remote switch, pressing the button and igniting the mines in the ground around the tank. Yuuko shielded her eyes from the explosions but the fire in her eyes did not die. She brought up her hammer.

"These irritating things... WILL NOT STOP ME!"

She slammed the hammer into the ground.

**"EXEC_ANGELPROGRAM : / / / SYSTEM_LINK WEAPONS_SKILL \ ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO ME; ACTIVATE"**

A giant shock wave swept out from the point of impact, sending an invisible wave all around her, even hitting Chaa. But Chaa did not feel any change. He tried to press the button on his remote but then... nothing happened.

"Wha-"

"Are you wondering about your little mines, predecessor-san?"

Yuuko laughed, tapping her hammer against her tank, forming a small remote device of her own. She took the device and pressed the ignition button, causing the mines around Chaa to blow up.

"HA HA HA! Did you really think that I would not be able to take control? I AM THE LEADER OF THE 3RD DIVISION, GUILD! MY WORD IS LAW! ALL WITHIN MY REALM SHALL LISTEN ONLY TO ME!"

Yuuko shouted as she stomped her foot on her tank and let it fire off once more. He had no idea just what she did but now she had complete control over his mines. An electronic wave that scrambled the signals on his mines? It can't be, she would need to know on what frequency he was using for his mines, scramble the signal and reconfigure them to listen in on a signal only she would produce. It all happened within that one split second? Just what sort of crazy thing did she do? ! Wait, she was crazy in the first place.

"For something like this to happen."

Chaa muttered, hiding behind one of the buildings left intact by Yuuko's mad attacks. He looked at his remaining options. He tried to grab some dirt and mould it into a usable weapon but the dirt simply crumbled away, refusing to be made.

"... I guess I've entered her 'turf', huh?"

Chaa sighed, tossing away the remaining dirt. The only things he had left was a knife and his pistol. Could he really make it work? To defeat someone crazy like her, he had to step up his game. He reached into his pocket and took out a small pill that he had received from Katusragi Rei earlier.

* * *

_Two hours before_

"These pills are for you all."

Rei said, handing small coloured pills to every member of the group.

"These are... the same ones used by Kyou and the others?"

Yamato asked, looking at the pill carefully.

"Yes, it is to supplement additional fire power when you find yourselves driven into a corner. Because of the weapons and abilities of the adversaries we face, I suspect that the current state is that they will overwhelm us. This is to even the odds."

Rei explained.

"What does it do? Besides giving us access to the program, that is."

Kyou asked, having received another pill.

"... Well, when the division leader utilizes their power, they are in fact expanding the madness and insanity that they use as their power. The larger the darkness, the more powerful they get and the weaker we become mainly because we are not used to the madness and it cuts off our connection to the core program while they are powered by it. It seems that the madness and insanity that each Division leader uses is also specific to that leader, like how on Jinnai's floor everyone was acting lovey-dovey, Ein's floor everyone was hungry, Awase's floor everyone felt sleepy. Each time the Division leader expands their sphere of 'influence' through the madness and insanity, they mark that place as their own. In other words, a 'turf' battle."

"'Turf'?"

"Yes, a 'turf' battle. The more a leader is able to expand their horizon of influence, the stronger their attacks and the harder it becomes for us to attack. This pills is to allow you to by-pass anything blocking your connection to the core program besides increasing your own powers. In others words, you are able to make your own 'turf' within theirs."

* * *

_Present_

Looking at the small pill, Chaa had to wonder just how much of this information was reliable. In the first place 'turf' war? This was starting to sound a whole lot like another story altogether. This was still Angel Beats, right? Not some story about punk teenagers on jet powered roller blades and big breasted women, right? What were they called, ATAT? Wait, aren't those giant metallic camels? Really, he shouldn't be thinking so much. Looking at the pill once more, he took some offence to the small coloured pill. Did he really have to rely on something so small? He thought back to what Yuuko said. That in order to beat her, he had to step out of the realm of normality? In the first place, what was normal in this World? But if he had to fight her with these pills, then what was the meaning to it all? No, he had beat her with his current terms, using his way. Otherwise he would only be proving her right.

"The last thing I need is to make the situation any more worse than it should be."

He muttered, pocketing the pill.

"... But.. the turfs... huh?"

That made Chaa think. He grabbed a fist full of dirt and looked at it.

"... Hmm..."

Perhaps there was still a chance to win after all.

* * *

Himura Yuuko had always wondered how the previous leader of Guild was like. She had read the journals and knew of his style. She knew his way of handling those under him and how he had discovered the method to create weapons from dirt. Truth be told, she was very impressed by her predecessor. His discovery of weapons paved the path for the SSS, and subsequently the SSS2, to fight their battles. He had organized the rough band of young mis-fits to become a professional group capable of producing weapons of the highest quality. She was impressed, awed and undoubtedly idolized such a person.

But reality had to hit home. He was weak. Too weak to grasp what true potential he held at his finger tips. The power of the program and the essences were limitless. It allowed her to project whatever her hearts so desires and create them into physical realities. She knew that whatever she created would still be limited to the images she projects, which in turn are limited by her own imagination. Imagination that has its limit where how much she knows. She cannot create something new that her mind is not capable of comprehending. But it was a step in a direction that she wanted to take. No matter who may stop her, no matter what may happen, she will overcome it all.

"... Even you, Yuki-chii... Hm?"

She looked up and saw that Chaa had stepped out from his hiding place, standing there right before her.

"Hmm? So, predecessor-san, you decided to face the inevitable? I applaud your bravery."

Yuuko laughed, turning her tank around and getting the turrets to face Chaa.

"Do you have any last words?"

She asked. Chaa said nothing, but took out something from his pocket.

"... Hmm? What's that? A new toy? Don't you remember that anything you make cannot be used by you? Not while you're on my land, not while you're in my realm."

Chaa said nothing to her provocations, but merely took the object in his hand and-

**BOOM**

The ground around Yuuko exploded, causing Yuuko to lose balance, grabbing onto her tank to prevent herself from being thrown off.

"Wha- What? !"

She looked to Chaa and saw that the object he held in his hand was none other than the same trigger device she held onto. She looked down at her hand and saw that her device was still in her hand, but how did Chaa have the same device? !

"Not everything has to go your way."

Chaa smirked, tossing aside the device as it crumbled away into dust.

"H-how? ! That's not possible!"

Yuuko snapped. Chaa grabbed a fist full of dirt and clenched it tight before throwing it at Yuuko. The dirt that Chaa threw was in fact, a grenade. Yuuko brought up her shield just in time to stop the explosion from blasting in her face. What was going on? Why was Chaa able to create weapons? This was her realm, wasn't it? No one but herself should be able to create any weapons. So why? !

"This... cannot BE!"

**"EXEC_ANGELPROGRAM : / / / SYSTEM_LINK WEAPONS_SKILL \ ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO ME; ACTIVATE"**

Slamming her hammer into the ground, a giant shock wave shot out from the point of contact, hitting everything around her, including Chaa. But Chaa merely smiled. He grabbed a fist full of dirt and threw it. Once more the dirt became a grenade and exploded near Yuuko.

"A-Again? ! IT CANNOT BE TRUE! WHY? ! WHY ARE YOU STILL ABLE TO CREATE WEAPONS IN MY SPACE? !"

Yuuko screamed, bringing her hammer down on the floor once more.

**"EXEC_ANGELPROGRAM : / / / SYSTEM_LINK WEAPONS_SKILL \ ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO ME; ACTIVATE"**

Once again the same shock wave, but Chaa simply grabbed a bunch of dirt and threw it over and over again, creating more grenades that forced Yuuko to back off.

"This... WHY YOU-!"

Yuuko raised her hand into the air.

"I don't know what trick you managed to pull, but you're wrong to think that you have won just yet!"

The two flying tacos at her side shot out and aimed straight for Chaa.

"Why do I get the feeling of DRAG*OONs from Gun*am Se*d Destiny?"

Chaa muttered before noticing one of the flying machines was priming its main gun at him. He jumped out of the way just in time before the machine shot a laser beam.

"... LASER? ! OI OI! SINCE WHEN WAS THIS A SCI-FI STORY? ! I DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING ABOUT A GOD-DAMN LASER!"

And the fact that those two things could fly in the first place never even crossed his mind.

"THINGS FLY ALL THE TIME!"

Not in that manner. Chaa dodged the attack one after another, jumping behind one of the buildings, only to have that building smashed through by Yuuko's hammer that was held by an enraged Yuuko.

"DON'T FORGET ME!"

"Who could forget?"

Chaa muttered wryly, jumping back as he reached back for his pistol. He drew it and fired it at one of the flying machines, causing an explosion with each round he fired due to the types of round he was using. The machine was damaged by his attacks but it was merely scratching its hard surface. He had to duck to dodge Yuuko's hammer as she came flying in once more. It was like a fighting game's combo attack. The machines would fire at Chaa, forcing him to dodge and Yuuko would go in for a strike.

"KORYAAA!"

Yuuko slammed her hammer down into the ground but missed Chaa once again. Her two flying machines flew back to her side, attached themselves to her waist belt and acted as booster rockets as they blasted her forward with their rear boosters.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT? !"

A flying division leader. Didn't you say that things fly all the time?

"NOT PEOPLE ON THEIR OWN!"

She has stuff attached to her so not really on her own.

"DOES IT MATTER?"

Apparently not. Yuuko, with boosters attached, flew straight for Chaa at blinding speeds, swinging her hammer at the Guild leader. Chaa was using every ounce of his energy, agility, dexterity and luck to avoid even a single hit from Yuuko's hammer. One hit could spell instant death. Actually, Chaa might get sent straight into his third reincarnation if that thing ever connects. Talk about home runs.

"WHO CARES ABOUT BASEBALL? !"

You should, since Koshien is going into overtime. Chaa dodged the next attack by Yuuko, sliding around the corner and taking refuge behind one of the wrecked buildings.

"Hiding is all you're good for, huh? AND THAT'S ALL YOU'LL EVER AMOUNT TO BE!"

**"EXEC_ANGELPROGRAM : / / / SYSTEM_LINK WEAPONS_SKILL \ DISPARITY OF SOCIETY ; ACTIVATE"**

Slamming the hammer into the ground, the ground itself split itself, opening up a giant chasm. It split the building Chaa was hiding behind and made it disappear, forcing Chaa out into the open. It was not the fact that Yuuko had many more skills under her belt that made Chaa worried. It was the fact that this battle was being dragged out because he did not know what sort of skills she had. Thus far she had shown three skills. The first, "Tower of Babylon". From what he is able to discern, that skill is Yuuko's main skill, allowing her to create anything she wishes. The second, "All your base are Belong to Me", is an area effect skill that affirms Yuuko's territory.

Unlike other Division leaders, whose sphere of influence (or 'turfs' as Katsuragi Rei puts it) is merely to boost their own power whilst minimizing the power of others, Yuuko is able to cancel and even control the weapons and powers of anyone who is affected by her skill. That in itself is an extremely strong skill. The latest skill that Yuuko had shown, "Disparity of Society". He doesn't know much about it, but it seems to split apart and destroy anything she wants. No, it isn't only splitting apart and destroying. It was a complete and direct atomizing and absorption of anything she touches. It is a faster method of powering herself up rather than destroying everything around her and slowly absorbing the essences that are released by the destruction. In other words, it is a skill Chaa would not want Yuuko to use again.

Knowing that Yuuko would probably have more skills up her sleeves, Chaa would have to think his actions carefully. He took a fist full of dirt and compressed it. Thankfully this was still considered Yuuko's 'turf', so the dirt he compressed would be formed almost instantly. The problem was that his method to create weapons had to be different from what he was used to. After all, he was working on her 'terms'. He compressed it hard and looked at the device in his hand. The device held its shape but soon crumbled back into dirt.

"... It's harder than I thought."

He muttered, taking up a bunch of dirt once more and compressing it. And he opened his hand once more, holding onto a-

"... Potato?"

Yes, it was a potato. The shape, the size, the texture. Everything about it was a potato and no matter who or what says otherwise, it is clearly just a potato.

"WHO CARES ABOUT A FREAKING POTATO!"

Chaa snapped, throwing it onto the ground in a fit of anger.

"Dammit, playing around with me- ... Hmm?"

That was when Chaa noticed something odd about the potato he just threw onto the ground. It was... growing?

"That's too fast... Just what is going on? Wait... if the sphere is 'greed', and thus it was made from 'greed', thus it would inevitably grow to be the same as that Guild leader. In other words, that potato was the same as Yuuko. It was Greed itself.

"... Still, why a potato?"

Chaa muttered, shaking his head. He peered around the corner of the rubble, seeing how Yuuko was still going on with her rampage. It was a good thing this place was set up like Guild. Even if Yuuko had rebuilt the entire place, there were still a few short cuts around that survived both the destruction of his Guild, and the reconstruction into Yuuko's. And this is suppose to be a reconstruction of a reconstruction. How confusing. But since it was a faithful reconstruction, he believed that the tunnels would exist and he was right. Using the tunnels he managed to get in another direction from Yuuko's rampage and used this time to think. And the more he thought about it, the more the potato started to grow. Not only in size, but having weird stems shooting out and burying into the ground all over. Almost like something out of an alien film.

"... What an interesting thing to make."

Chaa muttered, grabbing more dirt and making more... potatoes. Chaa did not know if it would actually work, but he just kept making them. Who knows?

"FOUND YOU"

Chaa turned around and saw what could be best described as Ashura in the face.

"Oh shi-"

Chaa jumped to the side before Yuuko's hammer slammed down on where he was sitting just a second ago.

"Watch where you're swinging that! -But you won't listen to what I'm saying... so here's something!"

Chaa threw at Yuuko a grenade but Yuuko swung at it with her hammer. The grenade was hit far away, as expected.

"DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE THAT YOU COULD BEAT ME WITH JUST THAT? !"

Yuuko screamed, lunging forward.

"Not really, but there is a saying. 'Even with a lousy gun, with a thousand of them, you're bound to hit something'."

Chaa reached into his pocket and pulled out everything he had. Grenades all flew out of his pockets and towards Yuuko. Yuuko swung her hammer at them and sent them flying as well. Or so she thought.

"Wha-"

Large roots started to grow all over her hammer, entangling it as well as her hands.

"WHAT IS THIS? !"

She demanded as the roots became more dense and heavy. She looked up and saw Chaa standing in front of her, tossing something up into the air and catching it over and over again.

"What is it? It's simply this."

Chaa smirked, catching the object he tossed into the air and showing it to Yuuko.

"A... POTATO?"

What Chaa had in his hand was in fact a potato. Yuuko looked at her hammer and saw that the roots were all sprouting out from several potatoes that latched onto her hammer. Chaa mixed them with the grenades when he tossed them at her, however unlike the grenades, the potatoes clung onto the hammer when it hit them and started to grow.

"These are... Why are they growing so fast? !"

"Do you really not know? Maybe you've been so caught up in your rampage that you failed to notice it."

Chaa said. Yuuko did not understand what he was talking about. She looked at the potatoes once more.

"... ! T-This is-!"

Yuuko finally realized what they were. The presence they held onto, the power that they fed off from. The very existence they were.

"These are... me?"

Yuuko knew this feeling. They were not exactly her, but they were made from her very own essence.

"You see, the thing about your trick 'All you base are belong to us', is that you lay claim to an entire area. Unlike other division leaders that we fought previously, you are able to control anything that is within your 'influence'. But in order to do that, you must integrate yourself into whatever is in that area of influence. In other words, you have to spread your own essence into the ground. It is the basics of making weapons in Guild; you must use your memories and infuse them into the mould, otherwise the object will not form and in the end it would simply crumble."

Chaa explained.

"B-but how are these potatoes able to grow so fast? !"

Yuuko cried out as more roots sprouted from the ground to entangle her feet, trapping her on the spot. Those were from the potatoes that Chaa was making and planted them into the ground while dodging Yuuko's attacks.

"Because they are you. And you are the symbol of Greed."

Chaa explained, tossing the potato he held in his hand aside as it started to grow roots.

"A potato is one of the sturdiest roots known. It can grow extremely quickly and doesn't require a whole lot of water. In fact, leave a sack of potatoes in a dark cardboard long enough and they would grow into plants. Or not. But if these potatoes, who are able to grow quickly as they are, are made from an essence that lays claim to everything, what do you think would happen?"

Greed. A sin that represents the insatiable desire for more. Unsatisfied with what they have already, those of Greed would forever be condemned to seek out what they do not possess, to reach out what should not be theirs, to aim for what they cannot get. In such sense, a potato formed upon such sin would only grow and grow and grow. Forever till it consumes everything. Reaching to entangle everything it can get its roots on.

"Ha... ha... ha ha ha ha ha!"

Yuuko suddenly broke down into laughter, making Chaa somewhat confused.

"This is rich! DA HA HA HA HA HA! Using my own sin against me? ! THIS IS SIMPLY TOO MUCH! DA HA HA HA HA!"

Yuuko continued to laugh, making Chaa slightly on edge.

"Ha ha ha... This is too weird... ah well... predecessor-san, you've got me there. I never expected that I would be the cause of my own downfall."

Yuuko sighed, shaking her head.

"I guess that's how it is suppose to be. In the first place, we were all simply delusional children, thinking that we could all be something more than we were. We were thinking that with this power, we could be Gods! But... that is simply a fantasy that can never be. It's my loss."

Yuuko admitted with a smile.

"... It's rather fast of you to give up."

Chaa said. Yuuko merely shook her head.

"No, it isn't. In fact, we should given up before it all went out of control. But maybe it was this course that we needed to take in order to better understand where we stand and how to better see what we missed out... Still, I cannot let things end like this since it has come this far."

"What? You're still going to fight? Even after giving up?"

Chaa seemed confused, to which Yuuko smiled.

"What are you saying now, predecessor-san? We can't let our spectators down with just me losing to potatoes. Do you know how long they've waited for this fight to reach a climax?"

"What the hell are you talking about? !"

"Now now, don't be so angry. You're still the winner of our fight, I assure you. It's just that I don't feel satisfied with this ending like this. I like to go out with a bang, you know? Don't worry, if you are able to defeat me just now, I'm sure you can do the same."

Before Chaa could stop her, Yuuko used all of her might, breaking free of the roots that restricted her hands and she lifted up her hammer into the air, slamming it into the ground.

**"EXEC_ANGELPROGRAM : / / / SYSTEM_LINK WEAPONS_SKILL \ TOWER OF BABYLON (OVERLORD PROTOCOL) ; ACTIVATE"**

From the ground, a giant structure like object shot out of the ground, lifting Yuuko up into the air with it as it towered above Chaa. It was...

"A GUN*AM? !"

* * *

Greed. A sin that was without limits; It had none; It knew of none. It was a sin that could bring down nations, create disparities between the rich and the poor. It wasn't limited to material wants, however, as Greed in itself was the desire to have more. While most people would classify Greed as the over-wanting of material goods, it isn't only that as Greed is also the nature in which all life must thrive to exist. Sins by themselves are the excessiveness of a certain trait and in terms of greed, it stems from the basic needs for survival but grew out of proportion as humans and their societies evolved. It was used as the foundation for modern society as humans began to create things to make their lives easier, building things for the ease of access, to harvest more, to create more, to expand their cities, conquering the wilderness.

It didn't stop there. To feed their ego, to build their cities, to expand their power. Then it went further. It created a rift between the people. It made them turn upon one another. It made them want more. Want more than what they need, more than what they can use. It made them something other than human. It changed them into monsters. But greed in itself is a sin that is filled with flaw. It is without end, and strives to be without equal. That insatiable need for more would be its eventual downfall. Greed in itself is a self-destructive sin and the longer it goes on, the more it destroys itself. If faced with another like itself, the two will compete until one is taken over, or both are destroyed.

"ENOUGH ABOUT LONG AND BORING MONOLOGUES! AND LET'S GET IT ON!"

Yuuko charged with her giant robot at Chaa, who made a quick device and detonated the mines around the giant robot, causing it to lose balance.

"NOT YET!"

Yuuko pushed the controls in the cockpit of her robot and quickly made it get back on its feet. Priming its gun at Chaa, she pulled the trigger, firing off a few rounds but Chaa took cover behind some buildings, planning his next move.

.

.

.

Himura Yuuko, daughter to an engineer of the JSDF. She grew up on the base and as a result, became extremely familiar with the weapons of war. She was gifted with the mechanics of the weapons, guns, tanks, planes, anything the base had, she knew its workings in and out. She was considered talented and could have aimed to join the military as well. But things were not so simple. For starters, she did not even want to be an engineer, let alone join the JSDF. She had aspirations to be something else. An astronaut, a singer, a race car driver, a teacher, an idol, a news reporter. She had dreams to be so many things. As she grew up in a base where the military of different nations would also have some presence, she was taught that a human being can aspire to be anything they wanted.

It was no lie, she knew that well enough, but what she did not know at that time was that to reach those aspirations, one must be prepared to make the sacrifices, take on the consequences, and have the opportunity to go for it. Humans are not all able to do every job that is available. She could not be an astronaut as she did not meet the physical requirements. She could not sing as she was slightly tone deaf and her voice could not meet the standard. She could not be a race car driver as no team would hire a woman to drive. She could be a teacher but her grades were not good enough. She did not pass the auditions to be an idol. She could not read most of the kanji written for a news reporter. She could not be what she wanted to be. The limitations set upon her were too great for her to overcome. Even becoming part of the JSDF was difficult for a girl.

It was at this time that she realized that the life she dreamed of will never come true. That those dreams she had as a child were so easily crushed. Reality was a cruel thing to face. She knew it back then. She knew of what she wanted would be impossible. To even get a good paying job would be difficult. She lived in a World where results were all that mattered. A simple marking on a piece of paper. Just some ink was enough to bring a person up to just mere mediocre success, or send them plummeting into the depths of despair. With results, she could get into a good school, from there, she had to bring herself in the good light of others, study hard, get into a good university. Get more good results and then? Would that really bring her to her dreams? Would that lead her to become what she wanted?

By following the system, she merely became a product of the system and would end up as nothing more than another mindless office worker. Was that what she wanted to be? To aim high yet achieve nothing? No. She would not stand for it. She would aim high, and aim for all. She will become more than anyone, more than anything. She will not allow anyone or anything to stop her. And that thought was what drove her insatiable thirst and hunger for more. To know more, to own more, to be more. No matter how impossible the odds, she would face them head on and claim them as her own. That same drive carried on when she came to the Afterlife after dying while trapped in an exploding ammunition depot. She was quick to join Taeno Yuki and under Yuki's leadership, she claimed Guild as her own. She envisioned a World of her own, a place she would make the rules, be the rules. But the creation of things outside of her memories proved impossible, it infuriated her. Until the discovery of the program. With such power at her fingertips, she became a God. And the first thing she did with such powers was the Tower of Babylon.

.

.

.

The Tower of Babylon. Such a tower does not exist in history, nor does it exist in the physical sense. To Yuuko, it represented something that could exist and should exist. In ancient texts that tell stories of high towers, they had always made inclinations to man's desire to reach the sky. They were a symbol of man's arrogance to challenge the Gods. A sign of their greed for reaching out for more, unsatisfied with what they held on the ground, the hunger they had for a higher status. Babylon was an ancient city that was seen as a gleaming gem in the desert, a city that was able to grow and prosper besides all odds. The gate of God, as it was known, Babylon became a prized symbol and wars were fought over it. At the height of its glory, Babylon was a city that stood as the testament to the greed of man, the holy grail that all wanted, could touch but could not hold on for long. And thus the tower of Babylon, the symbol of man's unnecessary greed in the city of sin, was the one thing that Yuuko had to bring forth her dream. To pave her path with madness.

.

.

.

Chaa. A mysterious young man who looks much old than he really is. He dropped out of school and became part of a gang of similar delinquents. He had no wild dreams for the future nor did he really care about anything else, other than what was the day going to be like, what he wanted to do at the moment, and... his wife. Though he married young, Chaa did not mind nor did he care at all about what that may be. He loved her and she loved him, that was all he needed. But... it wasn't meant to be. He wasn't like Yuuko, who craved more. He was satisfied with just the simple things. Yuuko wanted to prove that she could overcome any barrier that was put before her. He did not need to prove anything. Yuuko lost everything. He lost everything. They both founded Guild, created and built it up in their own image.

They both led their people well and was respected for it. But Chaa was different from Yuuko. Yuuko still hungered for more, still wanted to achieve the impossibles. He simply faced it all on with what he had. She believed that to defeat the enemy, they needed the ultimate weapon. When a stronger enemy appears, make an even stronger weapon. The cycle goes on. He believed in making things that would last. Things that would leave a mark in history. The tunnels and the weapons stockpiles he built stood as a testament to that. Two different people with different ideals. They would have never met and probably will never see eye to eye. But they have something in common. A junction in which they both met. The Guild. And it was from this Guild that they would find the answers to their despairs. One who would find solace and meaning to his life through the friends and comrades they made, and the other finding madness and darkness through the never-ending struggle for power.

.

.

.

Chaa knew that this was Yuuko's last gamble. That giant robot was armed to the teeth, firing away cannons, machine guns, rockets and all sorts of other heavy fire power. He knew that one he beat her in this, this would solidify his victory but... how? Yuuko did say if he did the same as before, he would definitely win but this is a giant ROBOT. Just how big of a potato does he need to make? Wait, who said anything about a potato? But Chaa had other ideas. He grabbed the soil and with it he formed a rocket launcher. He fired a shot at the robot, hitting it in the joints, forcing the robot to stumble and fall on all fours. Yuuko knocked her head in the cockpit, and she shook her head to clear away any disorientation. But the moment she looked up, she saw something on her visual screens. Chaa was standing right before her, and in front of him were ten multiple rocket launcher system vehicles. All connected by wire to a single device that was sitting in Chaa's hand.

"That old fox... when did he prepare something like this?"

Yuuko smirked despite facing what she was facing at the moment.

"I am the Guild's leader. I always make the best of what I have and I am always prepared for what is to happen. That... is what it means to be Guild."

Chaa merely said. Yuuko could only smile at the scene before her before Chaa pressed the button, unleashing a storm of missiles that flew out of the multiple rocket launcher system vehicles and blew up Yuuko and her robot.

* * *

He stood above her, standing on top of the burning wreckage that was her final creation, the giant robot. With twisted metals and wires all over, it was a complete mess. Yuuko sat there, in the exposed cockpit with a steel pipe lodged in her abdomen. Chaa attempted to help her out but Yuuko shook her head, having a smile on her bloodied lips.

"No need... it's no use, after all."

Yuuko said, coughing up some blood.

".. That was some fight... As expected of predecessor-san."

She laughed though winced at the pain she was experiencing.

"Funny how it had a lot of strange twists that made no sense... not to mention how short the battle seemed despite it going on for so long."

"... You wanted it to be longer?"

Yuuko smiled playfully at that question.

"Maybe a little longer, especially the robot part. I just brought it out and then we go into long monologues that hold little to no meaning and then... I lose... But sometimes... we can't have everything we want... The moment you figured out... how to create weapons in my field... I guess it was all over... How did you do it?"

Yuuko asked. Chaa closed his eyes and reached into his pocket, pulling out a brick.

"This is the key. Guild is connected to whoever built it, be it in the concept or the idea. As I had built Guild from the ground up, I am its founder. You simply took what I had and rebuilt it, improved it and claim it yours. But in its foundation it was still my idea. By understanding this, creating weapons would not be impossible but it was hard to do due to your influence. However it occurred to me that if this were your field and it was all pointing back to you, then all I had to do... was to create the things the way you did it. Your field of influence would prevent the dirt from becoming anything I would want to create since it would reject anything that is foreign to you. But by following your method of creating things, I was able to re-establish my foothold. Not everything has to go your way in order for you to succeed. Sometimes... following the path of others can lead you to success."

Chaa said, thinking back to his times when he was content with being with friends that he trusted and with the woman of his life.

"Or it can lead you elsewhere."

"... So there is no answer in the end."

Yuuko sighed, leaning back and staring blankly to the ceiling of Guild.

"No... that is an answer. Whether you choose the walk the path that others have done so before you, or start upon a new road without knowing what lies beyond... both are right and wrong. Life isn't about the hurdles that are stacked against you. Life is about whether you choose to overcome them or not. It is not a matter of whether you can or cannot, but whether you want to or not."

Chaa simply answered. Yuuko sighed, shaking her head.

"If only it were that simple. By the paths that I wanted to take on, the hurdles were too high for me to take them. I understood my options the best as I knew what I had."

"But you did not attempt them. You resigned to your own weakness. And whoever said that the alternative was a bad choice? You will never know what awaits for you at the end of the path until you have walked through its entirety."

Yuuko smiled at his answer.

"Well... it's all too late for it now. Just do what you need to do."

Yuuko said. Chaa took out the small box of bullets that Rei gave him, chambering the round he picked out and slotting it manually into the chamber of his pistol.

"You know, I would have preferred dying by a bigger gun."

Yuuko smirked as Chaa pointed his pistol to her head.

"We don't always get what we want, so we always make do with what we have."

"Even when it is not enough?"

"... It will never be enough. But living each day to its fullest, is the best way to know just how much is enough."

Yuuko stared at Chaa, before smiling.

"That made no sense whatsoever."

_[Chaa used Gear Bullet]_

_[Access: Insanity Streak]_

_[Corruption absorption in progress]_

_[...]_

_[...]_

_[...]_

_[Purge complete]_

"... Always wanting to get the last word."

Chaa muttered before he looked over to the other end of the hall where the exit was.

"... I hope the others face less pain in the ass opposition."

* * *

A/N: By next week, you people will know why I took so long for this chapter. If you placed me in your author alerts then yes... if not... then you can check my profile by next week... don't shout at me for this!


	51. Chapter 51

A/N: SO SORRY! I realise that it has already been over half a year since I posted anything! I would be thoroughly surprised to see anyone still reading this. Truth is usually stranger than fiction.

I was asked to write an original story for a light novel (My writing style is actually more like a light novel than an actual novel) and so I was all fired up being the ambitious little writer that I am, I wrote out the story outlines for 6 stories and continued to write two of the ones I deemed best. Only when I was finishing up the two stories did I realise something... I went over the deadline. Well, that effectively ends my career as a writer, how short it was. So now I have two original stories that I may or may not publish on fiction press. Probably not.

In my mad writing of the two stories, I completely forgot to write anything for this one, so once I was nearly done with my two originals, I quickly went back to business. A little rushed near the end because I am quite exhausted from writing those two originals.

Well, onto news for the Angel Beats! game. From what I can see, it is mainly going through the main story like the Anime. Of course in order to clear the game you would probably need to clear all of the different routes... guy routes? Not sure... There is a Iwasawa route! Confirmed!

But other than that, Japan is really heading into a problem... its leaders seem to enjoy stepping on everyone's toes. What are they thinking? I really like Japan but with politicians like that makes me wonder if the exploding point in Asia is near its peak. Kind of sad, really.

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 51_

_Envy_

That remark by Chaa was definitely a death flag for the rest of the team, not to mention the shounen-manga like style of climbing a tower of impending doom on a universal level would undoubtedly cause the next few opponents to be far stronger than the rest below. In other words, not only would the others find harder enemies in their way, but they would also face a higher probability of death.

"That remark is not necessary."

Yuri muttered.

"Yurippe? Who are you talking to?"

Hinata asked, to which Yuri shook her head.

"No one in particular... Looks like we're at the next one already."

They group reached the next hall with the same pair of giant doors as the previous ones. This one had the carvings of men and women, all having their heads face down to their feet but their eyes all seem to be looking at one another. In comparison with the other doors, this one was quite plain and simple. The carvings were modest, at best, and the colours were dull and unpolished.

"... This is..."

Yuri studied the carvings carefully.

"I know! Embarrassment!"

Takagi shouted. Yuri sighed, shaking her head.

"Matsushita, if you please."

Yuri said. The large size judo practitioner grabbed the one being targeted and flipped him over and onto the ground.

"GAH!"

"As if embarrassment was a sin. If it were, I would be in hell hundred times over just being around you guys. And disappointment."

Yuri muttered, looking at the carvings once more.

"No... this is... envy."

She said, touching the door slightly. She turned to the SSS2 members in the group.

"So?"

She asked, making the SSS2 looked back to her in confusion.

"What do you mean 'so'?"

Kyou asked, making Yuri somewhat irritated but she composed herself.

"I'm asking whether you know who is waiting for us beyond this door."

Yuri rephrased herself, making Kyou think.

"... It's most likely-"

"Tatsumi Kenji."

Stepping forward from the rest of the group, Tenryuu Shuusuke spoke up with a slight cheeky smile.

"... Traitor."

Iris spat but Shuusuke paid her no mind.

"It is the most logical deduction after all the leaders we have fought thus far."

Shuusuke explained, walking up to the door and touching the carvings on it.

"Taeno Yuki is the advent of Pride and Kurogane Kou is wrath incarnate. The only leader left who is not accounted for is Tatsumi Kenji, the leader of the intelligence division."

"Is this... Tatsumi fellow strong?"

Yuri asked, making the SSS2 members look to one another.

"Well... I would not really call him strong."

Kyou admitted and the others nodded in agreement. Even Iris.

"But his strengths lie within something else. No one knows what it is, actually, as no one has seen him fight with his powers or weapons. He is a 'back field general', as those in the Assault division would call him."

Tomoyo added.

"While it is true that not many has seen his powers, even within the intelligence division itself, we all trust him and respect him for his leadership capabilities."

Iris countered but her words showed that even she was unclear on what would happen.

"Well, there is one thing that is certain about him though."

Kyou said, remembering something.

"What is it?"

"... It is strange that although he clearly isn't as strong as Yuki or Kou, he has never lost a battle before. Even during a short practise duel against Kou herself was brought to a draw."

That statement alone was more than enough to confirm the fears of everyone in the group. Tatsumi Kenji was a Division leader, and someone who can bring out a draw from a duel with the reaper herself, be it a practise duel or not.

"... Let's not waste any more time than we have to."

Yuri said, pushing the doors open and stepping through. What they stepped into, however, immediately caused a lot of them to stagger back.

"Well this is certainly a surprise."

Yuri muttered, and certainly it was. Stepping through the doors led the group into what could be best described as a giant space... with mirrors. Solid mirrors lined the sides, the floor and even the high ceiling. All they looked around them were mirrors.

"... Those wearing skirts might want to cover them up."

Rei pointed out, before earning glares, death stares from the girls.

_[Katsuragi Rei receives 99999999999999999999999999 damage]_

_[Chain combo]_

_[Katsuragi Rei receives 99999999999999999999999999 damage]_

_[Chain combo X2]_

_[Katsuragi Rei receives 99999999999999999999999999 damage]_

_[Chain combo X3]_

_[Katsuragi Rei receives 99999999999999999999999999 damage]_

_[K.O]_

_[You Lose]_

_[Continue?]_

_[Y/N]_

_[Y]_

"Is this some sort of fighting game?"

Yuri muttered off-handedly.

"You're not afraid of being looked at?"

Kyou asked, trying her best to pull her skirt lower to hide what she was wearing.

"Hm? No, not really. That's why underwear was invented, wasn't it? To hide your body? Why hide something that was made to hide something else?"

Yuri asked quite frankly, making some of the girls look to one another and question that in their heads as well.

"... But it's still embarrassing!"

Kyou finally snapped.

"Well, embarrassing it may be, but we still have to continue on."

Yuri said flatly. In truth, she was quite embarrassed to be seen as well but she couldn't let the others know that. It would cause unwanted attention to herself. The more you try to hide something, the more people will notice and will look. Yuri suddenly stopped walking as she noticed something in front of them. A young man with his hair slightly touching his shoulders, stood before them. But the thing that bothered Yuri was the fact that though he was standing before them in this giant space of mirrors, the man himself did not have any reflection.

"That is... Tatsumi Kenji."

* * *

It was like the man before them wasn't there. His existence was barely noticeable. He looked rather plain, his shoulder length hair, his small narrow eyes, his stoic composure. Nothing about him really stood out. An empty existence. It was rather frightening for Yuri as he seemed almost... like a ghost.

"Leader..."

Iris muttered, wanting to go over to where the young man was but a hand stopped her.

"What are you doing, Fujibayashi?"

Iris turned and glared at the one who stopped her.

"I should be asking that question. Have you lost it, Testarossa?"

Kyou shot back.

"That's my leader standing over there."

"And he's our enemy. You did not forget that, I hope."

Iris stood there in silence for the moment. She almost did lose it. She had almost forgotten their objective, their mission. Even if their leader was standing before them, they would have to fight. Not only to save them from the madness, but to stop the imminent doom of the program. Iris knew this to be true. Kyou and Tomoyo had to fight against their own leader, despite how hard it was for them to do so. Would Iris herself be able to do the same?

"... Let me go, Fujibayashi."

Iris silently muttered.

"Cooled down yet?"

"... More or less."

Iris yanked her hand out of Kyou's grip when she sensed the latter's grip lessened.

"It still doesn't change the fact that I have to do this."

Iris turned to face her leader.

"Testarrossa, it's too dangerous for you to take him on-"

"I am his second in command. The vice commander of the Intelligence division. I know my own leader better than anyone else, despite how little I actually do know about him."

Iris admitted, taking out her twin swords. But she was stopped once more, this time, by someone completely different.

"Now now, vice commander, no need to rush out and meet your end so quickly, now is there?"

Tenryuu Shuusuke smirked, stepping before Iris.

"You... get out of my way, I don't have time to deal with traitors like you."

"My my, such harsh language. It is sad to have it wasted on such a pretty face."

"Silence, worm."

Iris snapped at Shuusuke, who only sighed.

"So now I'm a bug? How low can I be demoted in one day? But besides that. I think I am better suited to take on our dear leader."

Shuusuke said, earning a surprised look from Iris.

"What makes you think you know better than me?"

"Well, for one, I was the leader of the analysing squad. I can read movements on the fly faster and better than you. Secondly, I actually do know of his weapons and abilities."

That caught everyone by surprise.

"W-what? But how would you be able to know what his weapons and skills are when no one else does? !"

Kyou asked in bewilderment. Shuusuke smiled at the looks on everyone's faces.

"Have you forgotten that I was working for 'that guy'? I was meant to spy on everything going on in the organisation and so of course I would have seen our leader use his weapon once or twice."

"Y-you-"

"Ara ara? Vice commander, I thought you would have realized by now just what I am capable of?"

Shuusuke smirked and Iris seriously wanted to punch him but stopped herself, regaining her composure.

"... If you really believe you are able to do it. Then so be it."

Iris said at last, turning to head towards the exit.

"Are you sure about this, Testarossa?"

Kyou asked, catching up with the vice commander of the intelligence division. Iris said nothing but looked straight on ahead.

"It's his decision."

Yuri said, walking ahead of Iris to reach the exit. Rei walked up to Shuusuke as the rest of the group followed Yuri to the exit.

"These are the bullets you need."

Rei said, passing Shuusuke a box. Shuusuke took the box but Rei would not let the box go.

"Katsuragi-san? I can't take the box if you don't let go."

"... Don't do anything stupid."

Rei said, making Shuusuke somewhat surprised.

"That's odd, I thought nobody cared."

"I don't. Just don't become filled with regrets and make my job any more difficult."

Rei threatened, letting Shuusuke take the box.

"Do I look like the type to leave regrets? You put me in such high regards."

Shuusuke sniggered, making Rei sigh as he turned to go.

"I won't tell you anymore than I have to. If you fail-"

"I won't."

Shuusuke said abruptly, his voice dropping to more serious tone.

"... Whatever the stakes may be, no matter the opponents that face me, I will not fail."

Rei looked at Shuusuke and saw that same determination that burned brightly in his eyes as it did to the others. There were no lies in those eyes. Rei smiled at that and walked off to follow the rest.

"I know you won't."

* * *

After the group left the giant hall of mirrors, Tenryuu Shuusuke faced his old boss, the leader of the Intelligence Division, Tatsumi Kenji. Tenryuu Shuusuke took out a knife from the pocket of his long black overcoat as he thought about the situation before him. He knew quite a bit about this enigmatic leader of the Intelligence division. It was his job to know. Sure, he may be a spy and could potentially cause harm to the thousands in the organisation, but he worked for a different goal, a goal that would save millions, or billions. The program.

A dangerous weapon that he was all too aware of. Why? Because he was part of the group that found the damn thing those years back during Operation: Watchdog which occurred at the same time as the great battle of Big Site. The Program 'Angel Player' was a program that could alter the very fabric of space and time within this World. God's tool. It wasn't long after he found the program that he met with Otonashi, the real hidden power behind the scenes. While he knew that Otonashi was once a human being, he knew as well that Otonashi had become something else entirely and wielded a lot of power. That was when he was revealed the 'truth' of the World and what would happen.

It was too late to stop the SSS2 from using the program and so he had to wait until the opportune moment arrived. That also meant that he had a lot of time to spy and gather information on every prominent member of the SSS2. But he had to do so without raising suspicions from the rest. In truth, he knew that the entire SSS2 was suspicious of his activities even before he met Otonashi. He was... different, to say the least. He had long suspected that something was wrong with the way the SSS2 were going about with their activities and when Otonashi approached him, he knew that he had a chance to right the wrongs done.

The only problem was that he would not be the one to finish it, nor would he be able to do anything to prevent this disaster from occurring. Thus he had to wait. He laid low and covered his tracks well, preventing the SSS2 from doing anything to him. They tried to keep a better eye on him as they placed him in charge of the Analysing squad of the Intelligence division. While it was true that Squad leaders could not go about doing much without anyone noticing, it was also true that Squad leaders had a lot of power. He did not act anyway outside of his duties as a Squad leader but he ordered his subordinates to do the things necessary instead.

Each time he sent a subordinate to do something, he would disguise it as another mission. All of the things he needed to do were to be completed by his subordinates who only thought they were doing mundane tasks. Only when their tasks were put together would one realize just what Shuusuke was doing. Shuusuke was patient, slowly planning, slowly calculating. He would always be two steps ahead of the SSS2 who tried to catch him, but they would never be able to, not until he wanted them to. The breakthrough finally came during Operation: Switch. The weird Operation in which all of the male and female members of the organisation had to switch uniforms and pretend to be the opposite sex for the day.

During that operation, he discovered an NPC within the ranks of the SSS2. Otonashi's prized NPC infiltrator. Katsuragi Rei. But Katsuragi had no idea about his true nature, a memory block, probably to prevent the raising of suspicions but all was revealed in Operation: Switch. But nothing happened. The SSS2 top leadership group knew about it but did nothing. Why? Why were they acting as such? He would not know, and soon, the day of judgement came. The program was activating itself. He knew he had no time to waste. He had to act and so he left the organisation and sought find Rei. Which he did. And so the game of hide and seek came to a close.

"... Of course, you knew just what I was doing, didn't you, leader-san?"

Shuusuke smirked, crossing his arms at the silent leader of the Intelligence division.

"..."

Tatsumi Kenji did not say anything, nor did he even make any inclination of a response.

"Hmm... always the silent one. Well, since you are not talking... why not I ask... you."

Shuusuke turned around to face a new figure. This person was standing behind Shuusuke, with his hands crossed. His facial features were the same but his eyes were slightly larger and his hair shorter.

"So, leader-san number 2, want to answer my question?"

Shuusuke asked the second person who stood behind him.

"... Since when did you realize that I was here?"

The second person asked, stepping forward.

"From the beginning. Didn't I tell you that I knew your abilities? Where no one else knew, I had realized it. Tatsumi Kenji, this is one of your abilities: 'Reflections of the Moon'."

The second person laughed at that answer.

"So, it is true that you have spied on my abilities. I should have been more careful around you."

Reflections of the Moon, it creates another Tatsumi Kenji, almost like a clone, but with the appearance altering from time to time. This was one of the basic skills of Tatsumi Kenji's weapons. While it wasn't from his SSS weapon, the leader of the Intelligence Division certainly had other powerful weapons at his disposal. Still, from what he knew, the clone would be unable to make any movement, being a simple 'dummy', as it were.

"You're wrong."

A voice spoke up, making Shuusuke turn. The first person, the one whom he thought was a dummy, just spoke.

"Looks like you didn't do your research properly."

A new voice spoke up. Stepping forward out of thin air, another young man appeared.

"Skills can be dangerous... depending on how you look at them."

Another young man stepped forward.

"And now who has the upper hand?"

Another. And another. And another. More and more people started appearing, surrounding Tenryuu Shuusuke completely.

"Oi oi oi, this is a very bad joke."

Shuusuke muttered. He definitely did not hear about this skill being able to create an army of Tatsumi Kenjis. The first Tatsumi Kenji raised an eyebrow at Shuusuke's remark and smiled.

"A joke? I can assure you that this isn't a joke."

_[Boss Fight]_

_[5th Division Leader: Intelligence]_

_[Tatsumi Kenji]_

_[Alignment: Lawful Neutral]_

_[Type: Envy]_

_[Level: 140_

_HP: 7000000_

_MP: 6000000_

_Strength: B_

_Agility: B_

_Endurance: B_

_Luck: C]_

_[Weapons List:_

_- Mimir (Rank SSS)_

_- Mask of Loki (Rank S)_

_- Dagger of resentment (Rank S)]_

* * *

The battle was fierce, with the clones of Tatsumi Kenji charging at Tenryuu Shuusuke, who was only armed with metal covered gloves and boots, punching and kicking all around. Each clone was no push-over, however, as they were each the same level as a Squad leader. Tenryuu, however, was no ordinary Squad leader. A competent fighter himself, he had Otonashi boost his abilities as well before coming here. But no matter how many of these clones he fights, there never seemed to be an end to them, not to mention the first Tatsumi Kenji that he saw wasn't participating in the fight. What was going on? Tenryuu could not shake the feeling that something was amiss. He was missing out on some piece of the puzzle. But what was it?

"If you have time to think, then you should be able to handle something a little more difficult?"

The clones all stopped in their attacks and they drew out a weapon each. Swords, daggers, spears, halberds, maces, chain balls, hammer, axes. All sorts of close range weaponry and now charged once more at Shuusuke.

"Oh boy."

Shuusuke really didn't have time for this. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small square device that resembled a detonating switch box used in demolitions. He did not hesitate to open the cover and flip the switch.

_[Tenryuu Shuusuke initiated 'Meltdown']_

_[Core overload]_

_[Self detonation imminent]_

_[5]_

_[4]_

_[3]_

_[2]_

_[1]_

_[0]_

_[Have a nice day]_

A large explosion erupted, blowing away all of the clones and incinerating them to ashes. Only Tenryuu Shuusuke stood there, in the centre of the entire explosion, seemingly unscathed.

_[Thank you for using 'Meltdown'. We hope your experience was a pleasant one. We hope to see you again.]_

"... Like hell I'm using it again."

Shuusuke muttered, tossing the dangerous box over his shoulder. All of its circuits were fried so it was pointless to even think of using it anyway. Looking around him and seeing nothing but ashes on the ground made him slightly puzzled.

"... That's it? I won?"

He wondered, scratching his head. It shouldn't be this easy and he knew it. After all, the cloning skill wasn't anything impressive in the Division Leader's arsenal It was something like a basic skill. The skill would allow the user to clone himself but Shuusuke did not know that the skill could be used to clone multiple times. Judging by the battle, each clone would be a rank lower than the one being cloned from. If each of these were the same level as a Squad leader, then...

"... They were cloned from one another."

Shuusuke muttered. But even if they were so, how would it be possible if there were so many of them around the same rank and if they could only be cloned once each, that would not explain the numbers. So Tatsumi Kenji really could clone himself multiple times. But something was still amiss. What was it?

"I see you've done well enough."

He turned around when a new voice spoke up. Walking slowly over the ashes, Testarossa Iris crossed her arms in a slightly annoyed manner.

"Vice commander... what are you doing here?"

Shuusuke asked.

"To make sure that you weren't slacking off."

Iris replied sharply. She eyed the ashes around her, sighing.

"Well, for now it's over. Come on, the rest are waiting."

Iris said, turning and heading towards the exit. But Shuusuke didn't follow.

"Hm? Hey, what are you waiting for? I said let's go."

Iris said but Shuusuke still did not move from his spot.

"Oi! What do you think you're doing? Ignoring your vice-commander's orders? !"

Iris flared up at him but Shuusuke merely stayed silent. He reached for his side and drew a pistol, pointing it straight at Iris.

"W-what are you doing? ! Put that weapon down this instant!"

"... Strange... I don't seem to recall the vice commander being so fiery."

Shuusuke finally said.

"Wha-"

"I had always wondered why the vice commander was so weird, acting like the ice queen from the ice age infront of others but going all fiery mad-lovey-dovey for Takamachi Yukari from the 6th Division. She also seems to lose her nerve quite often around me. However that makes it interesting for me... and also predictable."

Shuusuke smirked.

"Now the question for today is... who are you?"

Iris stared at Shuusuke in shock, but soon her face slipped into a smile.

"... I see that you're not as dumb as you look."

'Iris' said, crossing her arms.

"I guess I do not know my own vice-commander as well as I should have. Tell me, what was the main thing that gave it away?"

"... The vice commander's chest isn't that big."

Shuusuke pointed at 'Iris's' chest. Upon hearing that, 'Iris' laughed.

"Ha ha ha! That is rich! I guess I should have studied 'another' part of her before anything else! Well, since you managed to guess correctly, I guess I can tell you 'who' 'I' 'am'."

'Iris' smiled, raising her hand to her face, before pulling her 'face' away like a mask. The moment the face was pulled, the body seemed to shimmer into another body. A body of a man. Behind the mask was none other than Tatsumi Kenji. The first one that Shuusuke saw when the SSS2 walked into this hall.

"... Tenryuu Shuusuke... I should have known not to underestimate you."

The intelligence division leader said, his voice and personality a vast difference from when he was 'disguised' as Iris. The face now turned into a plain expressionless mask, split into a black half and a white half. The eye on the white half had a dark ring shaped like a tear drop under the eye.

"The mask of Loki."

Shuusuke muttered, realizing what the mask was. He had never actually seen it being used but he knew of its existence from Musashi. All of its abilities were kept a secret but one thing that Shuusuke knew about it was that it held within it a mysterious ability that had made the intelligence division virtually untouchable by any enemy they faced. So that ability was transforming the wearer into whoever they wanted to be. A frightening ability for sure, but still...

"Do you really like transforming into girls?"

Shuusuke asked, but Tatsumi Kenji did not answer, standing there silently as always.

"... You know, you could at least answer. With you not talking at all is making it really difficult for the writer to continue writing. Don't you realize that more than half of the entire chapters are all dialogues? If you don't talk, then I have to talk for your portion as well! Which is rather tiring, by the way so I would like to stop now but I know I can't stop talking because of how the story plot goes and really... My mouth is getting dry so would you PLEASE say something so that the writer can stop making me say so much? Seriously, my jaw is starting to break and fall apart into a million pieces if you don't start anything soon. No? Nothing? You have no heart, do you? Letting me suffer like this while you simply stand there acting all silent and cool like some cowboy or a dark lord of doom or something. Okay, this is really grating my nerves. Can I stop talking now?"

Actually, you can.

"Thank you... YOU MADE ME TALK AGAIN!"

And I thank you for working so hard.

"... Talking... is pointless."

Tatsumi Kenji finally said, reaching into his pocket and pulled out a-

"... Cell phone?"

Shuusuke wondered but then realized that that cell phone was the very thing that he needed to stop. But it was too late.

"... Mimir sees all."

Kenji pressed it.

_[Program: Initialized]_

_[Corruption level: 1000%]_

_[Engaging DEMON protocol]_

**"I am the ugliest of all Sins.**

**I am the green beast that sleeps deep within your heart.**

**I am the reflections of an unwanted state.**

**I am the eye that looks at all others,**

**Yet not at my own.**

**I count the number,**

**Not the value.**

**I am the cause in which Nations go to war,**

**To conquer that which they do not have,**

**That which they must have,**

**That which they will kill to have.**

**I am the root of greed,**

**The end of lust.**

**I am he who sits in the darkness, **

**The lonely King who sits at the bottom of the well.**

**I am he who bears unhappiness for myself,**

**And sow unhappiness to others.**

**I hold spite for all,**

**Contempt for my fellow man.**

**I bring forth competition,**

**The difference that divides the men who stand united.**

**I am the brother that committed the first murder.**

**Spite is my calling,**

**Jealousy is my creed.**

**I am Leviathan,**

**I am Invidia,**

**I am Envy."**

_[Leviathan; Activate]_

_[Boss Fight]_

_[Incarnation of Envy: Leviathan]_

_[Tatsumi Kenji]_

_[Mark Of Cain; Activated]_

_[Mantle Of Cain equipped]_

_[Level: 320_

_HP: 8000000000_

_MP: 6000000000_

_Strength: A_

_Agility: A_

_Endurance: S_

_Luck: B]_

_[Weapons List:_

_- Mimir (Rank SSS)_

_- Mask of Loki (Rank S)_

_- Dagger of resentment (Rank S)]_

* * *

The Mantle of Cain. It was an armour that looked no different from a tailed coat. In fact, it looked just like a formal dress that one would wear to a fancy party. If that party was several centuries ago. A collared shirt with a vest over, then the coat. Pants with normal dress shoes to finish off the outfit. Unlike the previous division leaders, this one did not look very outlandish nor did it stand out in any manner of fashion. The only things that did stand out were the two belts that dangled freely on the left side, as though he only looped them through the right side of his pants, and the large coiled metallic snake that went from his shoulder down to his hand.

What is that thing? It looked very much like some ancient Aztec gold that was cursed by someone really long time ago and would spread its curse if anyone touches it. Or something along those lines. The main issues were the three weapons of Tatsumi Kenji. The Mask of Loki which Tatsumi Kenji was holding in his right hand. The SSS weapon, Mimir, the cell phone that Kenji held in his left hand. Finally the Dagger of Resentment, which was still in its holder on one of the belts dangling around Kenji's waist. The switch blade dagger itself was an enigma to Shuusuke. He knew it existed and knew it wasn't the SSS weapon but he knew better than to underestimate it.

The SSS weapon was the real problem but he should not keep too much focus on it. Unlike the previous division leaders, Tatsumi Kenji has no known real combat style. He is able to bring out a draw with the 6th division leader, Kurogane Kou, in a practise dual. That in itself is an impossible task despite the fact that it was only a practise dual that Kou wasn't really putting all into it. If Shuusuke could survive whatever Kenji would throw at him, he would be able to determine how best to defeat Kenji. But defeating Kenji was not as simple as that. Not only must he defeat Kenji, but he must make the intelligence division leader pass on. These two requirements were not as easy as you would make it out to be.

Some of the previous leaders would be satisfied that they were defeated, therefore making it easy to get them to pass on. However the others, Tatsumi Kenji, Taeno Yuki, and Kurogane Kou in particular, were not that simple. For these three, simply defeating them would make it harder for them to pass on, after all it was the fact that they lost, that they were inferior to someone else or something, that they were rendered powerless to stop what they could not stop, that led them here. Maybe he should have left this fight to Iris instead, but he knew that he really did stand a better chance than her against Kenji. Well... better at least.

"You people certainly do like your internal monologues."

Kenji spoke up, breaking Shuusuke's thoughts.

"Ah, well, it is certainly useful for us to think through how to fight you division leaders, plus it also allows the reader to understand a few things. Don't you know that it is important to let the readers know what is going on? With too many things happening all at once, especially since the writer loves to write this story all over the place, it is necessary for a long part of our fight to explain what is going on. It is like explaining the intricate details of a painting done by a mad man who suffers from schizophrenia."

"..."

That was some large breaking of walls there.

"But it doesn't matter to you, does it?"

Shuusuke asked with a slight smile. Kenji stayed silent, before raising up the mask to his face.

"... We shall see."

Kenji said before putting on the mask. Almost immediately his body went through its transformation and standing before Shuusuke was-

"... Really? Fujibayashi Kyou is your answer?"

Shuusuke asked sceptically 'Kyou' brushed her hair from her shoulder as 'she' eyed Shuusuke.

"My answer is not what is used to address your problem. It is what is needed to get rid of mine."

'Kyou' said before rushing at Shuusuke, throwing a punch. Shuusuke dodged the blow and 'Kyou' crashed into the ground, causing a giant crater.

"... Woah. Remind me not to piss off the real one."

Shuusuke muttered before dodging more punches and kicks by this fake 'Kyou'.

"Tired already, Tenryuu? I was just getting started."

'Kyou' laughed, throwing a whole combo of punches and kicks. Shuusuke had no time to dodge constantly, and some blows did connect. However even though this was a fake 'Kyou', 'her' abilities seemed somewhat similar to the real one. Although the real Fujibayashi Kyou was strong in hand-to-hand combat, it was as a commander where she excelled. Not to mention that her main weapon were books. In other words, this 'Kyou' may seem strong in fighting but in the end, this copy was still weaker than the original. 'Kyou' seemed to notice and jumped back, stopping 'her' attacks.

"I knew that Fujibayashi Kyou was strong... but I guess that strength is meaningless unless you bring out their best cards to the table."

'Kyou' said, shrugging 'her' shoulders.

"This mask allows me to essentially 'become' another person, inheriting their strengths, weakness and such. But unfortunately it doesn't allow me to 'copy' their weapons."

'Kyou' sighed, looking at 'her' hand.

"And you're telling me these things because...?"

Shuusuke wondered. 'Kyou' looked at him before laughing.

"I did say that I would copy their weaknesses, right? Fujibayashi Kyou is rather weak in mind and spirit but she hides that behind a façade of strength. You see, Fujibayashi Kyou is a person who must find a reason for her actions. She tries to reason and convince herself that the choices she made were correct. Most important of all... she believes in punishing herself. At least this is the Fujibayashi Kyou that 'I' knew. It seems that her fight with Ein served as some shock therapy for her. Good for her, I suppose."

'Kyou' smirked before bringing 'her' hand to 'her' face'.

"But that's not what I need."

'Kyou' said before 'she' waved 'her' hand in front of 'her' face and immediately, 'she' changed. No longer was it 'Fujibayashi Kyou' who stood before Shuusuke but now it was-

"Sakagami Tomoyo... oh crap."

Oh crap indeed. Flexing 'her' arm, 'Tomoyo' looked to Shuusuke.

"It is common ideology that if your weapon fails to do any damage, it is then best to find another weapon to inflict the damage needed."

'Tomoyo' lunged forward, throwing a punch straight at Shuusuke. Shuusuke managed to dodge but the resulting punch created a large crater.

'Tomoyo' got up and looked at the crater.

"As expected of the 'Bear of the Assault Division', her attacks are on a different level."

"You've been using the female members of the SSS2. Are you really a closet tranny?"

Shuusuke asked. 'Tomoyo' looked at him with a rather stoic face.

"I do believe that you know better than most that the SSS2 is filled with extremely powerful women. I do not have any qualms with who is stronger, and I will become whoever that stronger person may be in order to reach my goals."

'Tomoyo' charged straight at Shuusuke. For the leader of the analyser squad, it was easy to dodge. It was his speciality to know how each member of the SSS2 fought, how they reacted. But the prospect of fighting every single powerful fighter in the SSS2 was not a very good one. In fact, it was a rather horrifying thought.

"... That is an interesting idea."

'Tomoyo' suddenly said, before waving a hand before 'her' face and once again the mask was changed. This time to Hasegawa Iori, the leader of the Wolves.

"Well well, so how do you like fighting a guy this time, Tenryuu?"

'Iori' asked with a slight smile.

"Not in the least happy. Can't you just stop transforming for once and just fight me normally? It's hurting my brain."

Shuusuke admitted but 'Iori' simply laughed at that.

"Ha ha ha! Well, too bad for you then, because I don't really like going according to what you like."

'Iori' said before drawing out a sword. The real Hasegawa Iori did use a sword, but he was also proficient in guns and spears. This 'Iori' did not use the same sword as the real one as Kenji did admit it himself that the mask is unable to recreate any weapon that the person being copied might use. Therefore these weapons were in fact ordinary weapons that Kenji had prepared beforehand. However the skills and abilities of each person being copied would be near identical.

"But lucky for you, I am unable to copy anyone who is on a division leader level or higher."

Shuusuke really doubted that counted as 'lucky'. Among the different Squad leaders, there were several who were on a different level from the rest not counting the Guardians as the ghosts of the 6th Division were considered beyond the Squad leaders and nearly on the same level as Division leaders. No, Squad Leaders were the ones that made up the true force of the SSS2 and the special few who stood above the rest were key figures who would lead on the ground. These individuals were far stronger than what Squad leaders were meant to be, rather they were actually the closest to being Division leaders if not for the fact that they lacked the certain qualities to make it to that level.

Fujibayashi Kyou of Assault, Testarossa Iris of Intelligence, Senjougahara Shinobu of the Runners, Goudatera Takako of the Builders, Hasegawa Iori of the Wolves, Reiji of Edge, and Ryuusei Suou of the Snipers to name a few. There were others who were not Squad Leaders but their strength were something that one cannot ignore, even for a Division leader. Ryougi Mana from Assault, Sakagami Tomoyo from Assault, Houiin Hideo from Edge, Saori from Guard 1, Mitsuhide Ayane from Assault, Tsugihara Kaoru of the Runners, and Saya of Katsuragi Rei's Rebels are good examples.

Each and every single one of these exceptional individuals had strength to rival the Division leaders yet were clearly under their 'level', therefore Tatsumi Kenji could change into any one of these 'super humans' and use their abilities. This is the closest Shuusuke would ever get to fighting with the entire SSS2 organisation. Shuusuke knew that he would face off against the SSS2 if he joined hands with Otonashi but this was not the way he expected the fight to go.

Certainly he had hoped that such an event would never come to pass but now that it has, he has to make the best of it. But how exactly can one make the best of this situation? Training exercise? A contest of might? This was getting ridiculous and Shuusuke knew it. The last thing he really needed was to fight through the entire SSS2 power freaks roster and tiring himself out before facing against his real opponent, Tatsumi Kenji. In the first place, he would not know whether Kenji would be tired from using all of these transformation techniques. Probably not.

"You are right. I do not get tired from using this technique, nor do I use my own energy to use the technique of others while I am impersonating them."

'Iori' explained.

"... That is really... bad."

Shuusuke muttered in reply, but that was when he realized something else.

"... You've been reading my thoughts."

Shuusuke realized.

"It might be common before as a form of exposition and gag, but for you... you're really reading my thoughts."

At this, 'Iori' dropped his smile. Raising 'his' hand to his face and taking off the mask, Tatsumi Kenji narrowed his eyes at Shuusuke.

"... So you realized it."

"It was hard to since you were deliberately trying to avoid showing that you could read my thoughts and actions but it doesn't take an idiot a whole century to figure that out. I'm guessing that this ability... is the true ability of your SSS weapon, Mimir."

* * *

Mimir, in accordance to Norse legend, was a person of great wisdom, one who could see into the future and tell the outcomes of battles, something only the Norn who were in charge of the fates were capable of doing. Mimir had a well that was said that any who drank from it would obtain immense knowledge and wisdom. Odin, the Nordic God and all-father of the Norse Gods, sought the well. In return for drinking from the well, Mimir called for the price of one of Odin's eye.

To Odin, it was a cheap cost and he gave it to Mimir and drank from the well. Upon drinking from the well, Odin gained immense knowledge as well as seeing into the future that would be Ragnarok, the end of the World. Odin, having a taste of that immense knowledge, wanted more. He wanted to have more knowledge than ever, wanting to be the one who stood above all and he knew that no matter what, he would never be better than Mimir. He had also realized that if anyone else had access to the well, they would prove a threat to him and could possibly bring about Ragnarok. The result of these problems was Odin cutting off the head of Mimir. No one could access the well without Mimir and using magic, the head of Mimir would constantly speak wisdom and knowledge to Odin alone. However the killing of Mimir did not stop Ragnarok but served as one of the many catalyst that ignited it.

* * *

Tatsumi Kenji put aside his mask as he drew out his cell phone. The SSS weapon called Mimir.

"... Much like the name Mimir, it displays information on everything. It shows me past, present and future. The memories and the thoughts of all."

He explained, toying with his cell phone.

"Is there a point in explaining your weapons working to me?"

Shuusuke asked, in which Kenji narrowed his eyes at him.

"... No, there isn't."

Kenji merely answered. But it didn't seem like that was the case. There was a reason for why Kenji told Shuusuke the workings of his weapon. A reason. But for what real reason was there?

"If you can read my thoughts, then what is the point of me talking?"

"... Because I hate talking."

"And yet you're fine with answering questions? Your logic is quite flawed."

"... Answering questions is the basic rule of ethics."

Kenji answered. Shuusuke scratched his head at that answer.

"Is that really the point?"

"No, it isn't."

The two stayed silent as they stared at one another. Neither moved nor showed any sign of movement. To Shuusuke, this battle was near impossible to win. His opponent, Tatsumi Kenji, could read his thoughts, his movements, his plans. There was no way he could make an attack without Kenji knowing of it. But he had to do something. He reached for his side arm but-

"I wouldn't try that if I were you."

Kenji suddenly appeared behind Shuusuke and using his dagger, stabbed Shuusuke in his arm.

"! ! !"

Kenji drew the dagger out of Shuusuke and jumped back before Shuusuke could retaliate. The wound in Shuusuke's arm caused him a large amount of pain but it wasn't only that. There seemed to be some sort of flaming pain that went throughout his arm from the area around the wound. Shuusuke rolled up his sleeve and looked in horror as green lines started to etch themselves on his skin, snaking all over his arm from the wound. Poison? He looked up and saw Kenji, his switch blade dagger in hand dripping with the blood of Shuusuke.

"That... blade..."

Shuusuke muttered, feeling the pain in his arm flaring up.

"The blade of resentment..."

Kenji muttered, looking at the blade.

"It severs anything related to the host. You can not touch or use anything the blade comes into contact with."

Kenji said, looking back to Shuusuke.

"So... it's more like 'if I can't have it, neither can you' sort of situation? Really, that's not very mature."

Shuusuke muttered, gripping tightly onto his arm in an effort to numb the pain. But the pain would not subside. If it would not subside, then it could possibly spell disaster for him. The poison itself seemed to be spreading, though slowly. Still, he must not simply neglect to do something at this point, but what? Tear off his arm? He may not die but he would be put in an immediate disadvantage. Healing and revivals were slowed within this giant tower of concentrated black essence. The last thing he needed was to be injured, but he already has been. He looked up and saw Kenji, who was simply looking at his phone. The phone was telling the Division leader what he was thinking. But shouldn't it normally be transmitted directly into his mind? Like all super weapons of level bosses.

"... You already know the answer."

Kenji answered uncaringly. Yes, Shuusuke knew the answer. Kenji could receive information from his SSS weapon without looking at it, but receiving information directly into the brain and seeing the information physically are two different things. People are not born with the ability to receive information directly from an outside source into the brain. As such the brain would be unable to cope with the stress of trying to differentiate information correctly. Seeing the information directly on his SSS weapon, Kenji is able to get his mind to sort out the differences between information that are within his head.

Sight is the strongest sense of the human body and thus the brain would focus better if there is something to see. This wasn't a handicap for Kenji, however, as he does not need to see the phone directly to know but rather seeing the information once in a while is a preventive method to allow his mind to rest and not be overloaded with too much garbage information. Well... it wouldn't be a handicap if Kenji was fighting someone 'normal'. Tenryuu Shuusuke merely smiled.

"Well then... shall we get started, partner?"

* * *

Tatsumi Kenji had always known Tenryuu Shuusuke to be a threat. The question being how much of a threat was he? Tenryuu Shuusuke didn't act out of the ordinary when he first came to this World and joined the SSS2. In fact, he was quite the opposite character. Quiet and withdrawn, the Tenryuu Shuusuke in the past barely spoke a word, avoided contact as much as possible and didn't seem to stand out. In such a sense, Kenji took him in. Shuusuke was a hard and diligent worker as well as being able to think unlike many others. His character didn't change until a few months after he had joined the intelligence division, showing more erratic behaviour, starting to act cocky, speaking loudly, being sarcastic to others. Perhaps this was his true character and before he was simply shy? No, this change was too great of a deviation.

The largest change of all occurred during the Battle of Big Site. Kenji had initiated Operation: Watchdog and sent his division throughout the entire school, using the absence of the Student council committee, the disciplinary committee and anyone who could stop them, to do a school wide hacking of information. Though due to the absence of his intelligence division, the casualty rate in the battle below ground raised to an alarming number. Yuki was right in that his own defiance to her, to the organisation, led to the severe number of people disappearing from this World. He would accept that fact but in return he discovered something even greater. The 'Angel Program'.

It was discovered by Tenryuu Shuusuke himself and right after that, Shuusuke disappeared from the SSS2. It wasn't until 'that' day, the day when Kurogane Kou fought against the very first and last EX class Angel the SSS2 had ever known, that Tenryuu Shuusuke reappeared. 'That' day was a day for many things. Dubbed as 'EX day' by Yuki, it was a day when the EX class Angel appeared and a massive battle between the Angels and their Shadow allies against the SSS2 took place. EX day was triggered when the Angel Program was overloaded due to experimentations by both the Intelligence division and by Guild. A massive storm of black essence and negative energy swept the school and the EX class Angel was summoned. No one really knew how the EX Angel looked like or what had happened, only that Kurogane Kou of the 6th division fought one on one against the Angel for the entire day before everything went quiet.

Interestingly enough, the EX day was also the day when Katsuragi Rei appeared. On EX day, Tenryuu Shuusuke reappeared. While Yuki wanted to lock him up and interrogate him, the strangest of people stepped forward to vouch for him. Kurogane Kou. She claimed that Tenryuu Shuusuke was working under her temporarily after the Battle of Big Site in order to draw out the EX Angel. No one really knows why she said that but no one was able to dispute her claim, thus Shuusuke was let off the hook. Kenji, however, still did not trust Shuusuke. No one really did. He had disappeared for five years, resurfacing only on the EX day itself.

It wasn't that Kenji did not trust Kou. He respected her greatly. Her power, emotionless and ability to think despite the situation made her into an ultimate weapon. But even if he did take her word about Shuusuke to be true, he still could not understand it. Thus, in order to better keep him under watch, Kenji promoted Shuusuke to be leader of the Analysers under the guise of 'special services rendered'. Squad leaders were required to report to Kenji directly at regular intervals and Shuusuke did not fail in that. However most of his reports were weird or pointless. They had no meaning... on the surface at least.

It soon became apparent that Shuusuke was using these pointless reports and was searching for something or someone. Small bits of a larger puzzle. It all came too late for Kenji to stop Shuusuke before D-day occurred. Maybe what Shuusuke was doing led up to D-day, or it could be that whatever the Division leaders were doing to stop him added to the speeding up of the occurrence of D-day. It all doesn't matter now. D-day did occur and everything was lost. Each and every division leader was drawn to this tower, drawn to it by their SINs.

And as such the battle had to take place. The Division leaders themselves were consumed by SIN and further spurred on by their own will to live and reject anything, they became the enemy of the group their had led, they became the enemy to all. But despite knowing this, there was one person that Kenji did not forgive. One person that he swore he would defeat. Tenryuu Shuusuke. Kenji did not understand it himself. He knew that he was suspicious of Shuusuke and he had every right to be but why did he not want to forgive him? What was there to hate? Kenji was never one to show his emotions. Unlike Yuki who charges forward blindly, he chose to have a more calculated approach.

But due to his constant silence, Kenji never really knew how to manage his emotions properly. They overflowed and often clouded his judgement. Without anyone he could talk to, the emotions simply became more muddled, violent, and misplaced. All of these led up to what he is now. And so he came to hate Tenryuu Shuusuke. Despise his existence. This battle would be a way for him to show just what he meant.

"..."

He looked down at his SSS weapon, Mimir. The cellphone was a piece of history that he would rather forget, but he guessed that even in death, there was no escape from the past. The phone beeped as it received information.

_'Shift left, step right, attack from rear'_

These were the thoughts of Shuusuke. As such, there was no way that Shuusuke could defeat him. Not when Kenji held onto this weapon. He prepared to attack left but-

"... What?"

The attack never came, at least not from the left. Shuusuke suddenly charged from the right, bringing his knife up to quickly strike and taken down Kenji if not for Kenji's quick reflexes and he dodged out of the way.

"The reading... was wrong?"

Kenji could not believe it. His SSS weapon predicted wrongly?

"Oya? What's the matter, leader? Having a little problem?"

Shuusuke smiled mischievously

"..."

Kenji did not want to believe that he could be wrong.

"If you're not going to do anything, I'll take on the offensive!"

Shuusuke charged at Kenji. Kenji looked to his cell phone and on the screen came the message:

_'Feint, double back, charge from left'_

But once again Shuusuke did not follow what the message had said as he did not use a feint at all, rather just charging straight at Kenji until Kenji was forced to retreat. Kenji could not understand. What was going on? Why were the predictions of Mimir wrong? Wrong? No, Mimir is never wrong. There was only one answer that Kenji could think of.

"... Who are you?"

Shuusuke smiled, crossing his arms.

"Who knows? And I asked you that before."

"... Answer me. No one should be able to get past Mimir's mind reading skills. No one can move their body without their mind controlling it."

"Except for zombies, and that is somehow what we all are."

"Don't joke around. What is it that you are hiding? Who are you?"

"I am Tenryuu Shuusuke-"

"I am not asking you."

Kenji raised his hand and pointed at Shuusuke, in particular, his head.

"I'm asking... 'you'."

"..."

Shuusuke stared blankly back at Kenji for that moment, before smiling. Using one hand, he took off his black coat and flipped it inside-out, revealing that the inside was exactly the same, only white. Tenryuu Shuusuke put on the reversed coat and turned back to Kenji, no longer smiling. In fact, Shuusuke seemed like a whole different person now. Though his looks and his height were unchanged, there was something about his entire demeanour that was different.

"... It has been awhile... Leader."

Tenryuu Shuusuke's words were heavy, dark and serious. Kenji knew now what was happening, the reasons behind Tenryuu's weird behaviour, and the reason why Mimir could not work on him.

"... You have dual personalities."

* * *

Tenryuu Shuusuke was a young man who took things seriously. He was quiet and calculative. He never had a reason to say any more than he should, nor did he ever think there should be a reason in the first place. It was his way. He had always taken a back seat, to observe, to understand. But what he found only made him doubt everything. He closed himself off to the World and everything in it. He became uncertain and distrusting. But... it was cold and dark. A place where he could not trust anyone but himself, where he could not rely on anyone but himself, where lives do not matter but save for himself...

"So why not make another self?"

It all started from that one tiny voice within his head. A small spark that would cause an irreversible reaction. To more he thought about it, the more it grew. The more he tried to push that thought away, the more prevalent it became. Like a virus it simply grew and soon it took form and became... 'Tenryuu Shuusuke'.

"You are an interesting guy... Why don't you work with me for a little while?"

That was the first thing Otonashi said to him when they met for the first time. An 'interesting guy'? Maybe that was what his other self was. An 'interesting guy', someone who was him, but was not like him. Someone who could be free of the dark thoughts that clouded his mind for so long. To be someone that he wanted to be but could not. He became so detached from everything that he was no longer able to think normally, and so 'Tenryuu Shuusuke' took over that role.

"To be what you could not be. To protect what you hold dear yet are unable to do so. That is what I am. You are the shield, stoic and steady. I am the sword, the wild and unyielding."

The 'Sword' and the 'Shield'. No longer one single entity but now two halves.

"If one is unhappy with his current situation, he simply needs to change it. However if you are unable to do it on your own, then you simply need to 'make' yourself able to change it."

* * *

"... And that... is what happened."

Tenryuu Shuusuke said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a piece of gum to chew on.

"So you are the original."

Kenji muttered, ignoring the messages on Mimir that read: 'I hate gum! Get that nasty stuff out of your mouth!'

"... Original... huh? ... You might say so."

Shuusuke continued to chew the gum despite the cries from within his head.

"It is hard for people to believe such things being possible... We're all in the Afterlife, so how can your Soul have a split in personalities yet still retain itself?"

"Things... are best left unknown."

_'More like you're too lazy to explain.'_

Shuusuke reached into his pocket and pulled out another piece of gum before popping it into his mouth without taking out the first piece.

_'GAHHH! TAKE THAT OUT! You're doing this to spite me, aren't you?! I know you hate gum as well!'_

Shuusuke merely ignored those thoughts as he continued to chew on the gum in his mouth.

"... Hmph... like this you have rendered Mimir useless... As I thought, you were too dangerous to keep around."

Kenji said, throwing aside his cell phone.

"... It was only through Kurogane-san that I could avoid being investigated by you... And is it a good idea to throw away your SSS weapon like that?"

"A weapon that has lost its edge in battle is no longer a viable weapon."

"... Those words... are exactly like Taeno-san."

Kenji raised an eyebrow at that before smiling. Tatsume Kenji was smiling?

"I guess... As much as I try to deny her, as much as I detest her ways... I have come to understand that what she does is correct. I have tried to avoid following her methods and strove to ensure that the Intelligence division will be strong... But in some way or another I have come to respect her... and envy her."

Envy. The green eyed monster. The snake of jealousy. The dark seed of despair. The road of the first murderer. It is often said to be the ugliest of all sins as it reveals the darkest parts of humanity. It shows us what despicable creatures humans can be and just how desperate people will get to achieve what they want. No one is free from it and no one is able to escape from it. The darkest point of the mind, of the heart and of the soul. It is a Sin that is not learned, nor is it a Sin that is foreign to humans but it is an inherent trait of all humans.

The Sin that can be traced to all others, the serpent with venomous fangs would encircle and consume all, driving all mad with its words dipped in hatred. But such a Sin is not without its weakness, albeit one that is hard to obtain. Envy is a Sin that would cloud the minds of people, make them forget what they are, what they have and why did they yearn so much for it. It drives stoic men wild with rage and make people do things that they would never do if they were in their right minds. The answer to this is to correct your own mind.

"It is impossible the change yourself when you have lost it all to jealousy. It is all you can think about, it is all that you can act upon."

Kenji said, taking out his knife.

"But you can still act against it if you realise the root cause of it."

"It is too late."

"It is never too late... As long as you have the will to change... you can."

"... You're starting to sound like Yuki as well."

"... You could say... her thinking... has its merits."

Kenji closed his eyes, smiling like he did before.

"I guess... I have lost this time."

The Intelligence division leader said pocketing his knife. Shuusuke did not seem all that convinced, however, and kept his weapon drawn.

"Don't you have any pride? ... As a division leader?"

Shuusuke asked. Kenji turned around and looked upwards.

"Pride... is not my job. I am the eyes of the SSS2. I gather information and based off my own considerations... I will exercise the best course of action to take. Tenryuu Shuusuke. I will put everything I have into my last attack... Do you believe you can avoid it?"

Kenji asked, turning around to face Shuusuke once more. Shuusuke closed his eyes. Could he really face Kenji?

_'There's no need to worry about anything. Or what, are you scared? We can always switch if you want.'_

"Shut it."

_'Sheesh, no need to get so uptight over nothing. I swear you have high blood pressure.'_

"... We will take it on."

_'Right.'_

Shuusuke pulled out his pistol and the box of bullets that Katsuragi Rei handed to him, taking one bullet and loading it straight into the chamber of the pistol.

"I only need one shot."

Shuusuke brought his pistol up to aim. Kenji smiled and nodded.

"... I see. So you have chosen to take it on. Good."

Kenji raised his left hand and the eyes of the metallic snake that was coiled around his arm started to glow. Without warning, the snake suddenly came life, shooting out straight for Shuusuke. Its speed was so fast that it closed the distance between the two of them within an instant. Shuusuke could not dodge in time and brought up his arm to take the brunt of the attack. The metal snake sank its fangs into his arm, causing pain unlike any Shuusuke had faced before. It was like a thousand people screaming in his head at the same time, his veins boiled like it was on fire, his heart stabbed and frozen at the same time. The pain was immense and Shuusuke could not focus. His vision, his hearing, everything was gone.

_'You are an idiot as usual. I'll be taking over some of it!'_

At that moment, Shuusuke managed to get control over the pain. He was able to focus once more and he saw that Kenji was not standing there any more.

_'Behind you!'_

Without missing a beat, Shuusuke ducked down as Kenji swung his blade from behind while twisting his body, shoving his pistol behind him through his coat by his waist and fired. The shot went through Shuusuke's coat and his Kenji right in the stomach. For that moment, all was silent, no one moved nor said a word. But soon Kenji smiled.

"So... this is what it is like... to work with others."

Kenji said as his body started to disappear.

"... He is a reckless idiot."

Shuusuke muttered in reply.

"But... he is a reckless idiot who sticks with me no matter what."

Kenji nodded in agreement.

"And that is what is important... to understand one another... no matter the differences between the two... together, you can face anything... I wished... I had someone... like you."

_[Access: Insanity Streak]_

_[Corruption absorption in progress]_

_[...]_

_[...]_

_[...]_

_[Purge complete]_

Shuusuke got back up to his feet and kept his pistol.

"... We all wish for something that we do not have."

_'The grass is always greener on the other side.'_

"... But we must learn that it is not always... what we thought it would be. We should learn to be satisfied with what we have... or it will never end."

_'... What are you now? Buddha?"_

"... Where is my gum?"

_'NO! PLEASE NO MORE!'_


	52. Chapter 52

A/N: This fight is long, so I decided to split it into two chapters. I'm guessing this is one of the most epic battles in the story, so having two chapters is okay. I will post the next chapter not too long after this... hopefully it should not take too long. Editing usually takes quite long.

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 52_

_Pride_

The tower shook violently, causing the group to stop.

"... It's getting worse."

Kyou said.

"Was it that obvious?"

Iris shot back.

"Are you trying to piss me off, Testarossa?"

"When your monkey of a donkey brain registers the fact that no one needs to be explained the current situation, I will stop teasing your bird feed sized brain."

"TESTAROSSA!"

He simply stood there, looking up with great concern. The tremors were indeed getting worse and he could only imagine how much time they had left.

"Not going to stop them?"

He turned around and saw Nakamura Yuri walk up to him.

"... I don't need to."

He merely answered and sure enough, Kyou and Iris stopped fighting, merely looking away from one another in an effort to ignore the other.

"... At least they stopped fighting."

Yuri sighed.

"You're certainly becoming a proper leader, being able to understand the people that follow you to such an extent."

"... I am no leader."

Rei said before continuing to walk up the stairs.

"... Is it the fact that you're not human, that you believe yourself as not able to lead?"

Yuri asked but Rei shook his head.

"No... animals all have their own form of leadership in packs and nests. However I am no leader because I do have the right qualifications to lead people who have suffered in the past."

"Because you are made by Otonashi, lived a rather carefree life, need not worry about anything and therefore you are unable to comprehend human emotions?"

"... That may be one reason."

Rei trailed off. For some reason, Yuri was getting rather irritated by Rei's entire atmosphere and before anyone else knew what was going on, Yuri jumped up into the air and drove both of her feet straight into Rei's back.

"GAAH!"

_[Katsuragi Rei suffers a back attack!]_

_[Critical Hit!]_

_[Katsuragi Rei suffers 10000 damage]_

"Wha- what was that for? !"

Rei got back to his feet, confused by what had just happened.

"Tch, you recover fast. Are you sure you aren't a cockroach? Even my own computer doesn't restart that quickly when I kick it."

Yuri clicked her tongue in irritation.

"Don't kick your computer! And why would you kick your computer to restart it?!"

"Because it doesn't run fast enough."

"What sort of computer are you using?!"

"Don't know. Found it abandoned in some box in the forest behind the shrine in my neighbourhood."

"YOU DID WHAT?!"

"And it makes a lot of noise and smoke when I started it. Come to think of it, there were quite a lot of talismans on it. Was it some sort of design?"

"IT'S CURSED!"

"I'm pretty sure it runs normally. I could play the CD it came with pretty well, though I do not understand what is so interesting about watching a video of a well."

"IT'S THAT DAMN CURSE!"

"It can also play normal things like my music and games."

"IT CAN RUN NORMALLY?!"

"I'm pretty sure it was win*ows DOS or something like that."

"THAT'S REALLY OLD! AND IT STILL CAN RUN THAT?!"

There a lot of things that Rei wanted to say about Yuri's choice of computers but he decided not to. He would just never end.

"... So? What is the problem with being unable to understand what people had suffered in past? What is wrong with being unable to go through what humans go through?"

Yuri asked, making Rei stop and turn to her.

"But... I'm not human"

"YURIPPE SUPER DROP KICK!"

_[Nakamura Yuri used 'Yurippe Super Drop Kick' on Katsuragi Rei]_

_[It's super effective]_

_[Katsuragi suffers 10000 damage]_

With that, Katsuragi Rei was once more down on the floor.

"It does not matter how you were born, or what your true self may be, what matters is that you experience what others are going through in the PRESENT! If you live in the past, you will only live in depression and will not move from where you stand. If you only live in the future, you will be trapped by anxiety and you will not be able to understand anything around you. That is why we live in the present! Of course, living only in the present makes you a fool who has no direction to go and will only repeat mistakes made, but that does not matter in what I'm talking about at the moment."

"Yurippe, if you're going to lecture someone, don't get distracted and go off track."

Hinata pointed out though Yuri simply punched him in the face when he said that.

"I know that! Don't distract me when I'm talking! Anyway! Katsuragi! What matters is not that you are not human, but the fact that you can experience the same things as humans do. What you may perceive and understand may differ from others but that is normal! What I see and hear may be the same as those around me but what I make of it is different! There is no one set of answers to everything."

Yuri sighed, offering her hand to Rei, who looked at her hand for a while before taking it. Yuri pulled him to his feet some hidden strength of hers.

"It is alright to be confused or to stumble about being lost for answers. Everything we do in life is a learning experience. Some people just have more experience while others face it for the first time."

Rei wasn't sure if what Yuri told him would be correct for someone like him. But... maybe he could give it a try.

"Besides, a leader is someone who leads those who wish to follow, bringing and guiding them from the past, to the present and into the future. It does not matter where everyone started from, as long as they can believe in the leader and follow him, that is all they need. For a leader, being able to understand the strengths and limits of those who follow him is difference between a good leader, and a bad one. All of these SSS2 people, though they were taught and trained to fight someone like you, to see someone like you as the enemy, they still chose to follow your lead because they believe your decisions and choices. They follow you because they believe that you will eventually lead them to 'victory'."

To 'victory'? Rei did not know if he could really do something like that but... He looked to Kyou and the others. All of them depended on him.

"Oho? Looks like you're determined now."

Yuri said with a smirk.

"I've always been determined. Come on, we're nearly at the next one."

Rei led the group onwards and sure enough, they had reached the next pair of doors. The group had to stop and stare in awe at the door that they were standing before. They had thus far seen five doors and while each were different the next, this door was certainly on a league of its own. Far larger and taller than any door, it was made of gold and white polished marble. The doors were so high that no one in the group could make out where it actually ended, and so wide that even with the entire SSS2 standing shoulder to shoulder they might still have room for more.

The carvings on the door were of people wearing crowns or holding symbols of power who seemed to be standing high on rocks and facing their weapons upwards where carvings of angels seemed to come down to attack the people below. It was a carving of war. A war between men of power and the heavens. And despite having such an ominous theme to its design, none in the group thought of it as such, still transfixed on such a door that exuded a grand and majestic presence. It was certainly a sight that no one could comprehend, yet could not tear their eyes away from.

"... We won't solve anything just by standing around."

Yuri said, walking up to the door.

"Y-Yurippe... d-don't you feel anything?"

Hinata asked, making Yuri raise an eyebrow.

"Huh? From what?"

"From the door."

"... Why would I be feeling something from a door?"

The entire group fell silent at Yuri's words and though no one spoke, they all had the same thoughts in their minds.

'People of the same breed don't feel anything special to their own kind.'

"Hm? I feel like someone just insulted me... oh nevermind."

Yuri placed her hands on the door and was about to push them open.

"Nakamura-san? Don't you want to hear about who might be inside?"

Kyou asked, to which Yuri craned her neck to look behind her.

"No need to. She's someone like me, isn't she? There isn't much else for me to know about her."

'They really are the same breed.'

Was the thought that went through everyone's minds.

"After all..."

Yuri said, pushing the doors open. The grand doors that looked heavy opened with only the slightest of push and a grand light poured out from beyond that blinded everyone. Everyone but Yuri.

"She's just one spoilt brat."

* * *

They stepped through the grand doors past the blinding light, finding themselves standing on what seemed to be a giant platform that was floating in the middle of the sky, surrounded by clouds. Directly above them was-

"The Sun?"

While not exactly being the Sun, it did serve as something similar, lighting up the entire space that was separate from the reality of the tower. The 'Sun' was bright, but not bright enough for them to shield their eyes from it. The clouds that surrounded the platform were pure white and drifted lazily around the platform. The platform itself was quite a spectacle to see in itself. Made of smooth white stones, it spanned nearly as far as the eye could see. Having multiple stone pillars that were erected around in some specific pattern, surrounding the centre of the platform which sat a structure that was similar to an ancient Greek temple.

Everything about this place seemed to scream out the words 'grand', 'majestic', and 'powerful' to everyone in the group and the one thing that seemed to stand out the most, was the lone person who stood at the of the stairs leading up to the temple-like structure. Such was her presence that some within the group felt compelled to get down on their knees before her, as though she was someone of a divine blood, as though she was a deity to be worshipped and glorified.

"O-oi! Noda! What are you doing on your knees?!"

"I-I can't help it! And you're on your knees as well!"

"EH?! Since when did I?"

"T-this is the effect of Charisma rank SSS!"

"There is such a thing?!"

"TK is break dancing on the floor!"

"Is belly flopping considered break dancing?"

Kyou gritted her teeth as she fought hard against the urge to do the same as the others.

"T-this is..."

There was only one person who could cause such a phenomenon, only one person who commanded such power. With her white beret over her shoulder length brown hair, her dark green eyes staring hard at the group, using both of her hands to lean on her cane that was in front of her and having a men's blazer draped over her shoulders, her presence was undeniable, unavoidable and commanding. Yuri narrowed her eyes at that girl.

"... Taeno... Yuki."

* * *

Nakamura Yuri had many thoughts before stepping through those doors. Thoughts that ranged from the omu-rice she forgot to eat before coming back to the Afterlife, to the laundry she hoped her siblings remembered to take indoors in case of rain. She was a healthy young adolescent girl who had her fair share of problems. But unlike most people, Nakamura Yuri was one of the few who 'remembered' her time in the Afterlife, and with her personality, the obvious decision to go back to fix the problems she created.

But was it really her fault? Sure, she did not bother to find a 'shut-down' button and just unleashed all the bullets she had into the computers that held the Angel Program, but still that was no reason for this entire thing to blow out of proportion, was there? But a mess is a mess and so she had decided to come back to correct the things that she failed to do so in the past. And soon after arriving her, she heard of that name. Taeno Yuki. She had no idea just who this person is, but from what she could gather, Taeno Yuki was her successor, not only in name and position, but in character as well.

Otonashi had told Yuri some things about this Yuki character and to sum it all up, Yuki was exactly like Yuri. But just how much like her was she? Yuri had never met this Taeno Yuki before and even if they should meet, Yuri had her doubts about how similar the two of them were. Now that she was standing face to face with the legendary Taeno Yuki herself, Nakamura Yuri had to rethink about a lot of things. For one, Yuri was now starting to believe in the legends of there being three doppelgangers for every person in the World. And second, did she really look like this during her time as the leader of the SSS? To Nakamura Yuri, seeing Taeno Yuki was like staring into the reflection of a mirror.

Yuri had almost the same face, the same height, the same body shape and the same presence. No, it could be said that Taeno Yuki had a greater presence than Yuri. The only differences between them were the colour of their hair and eyes, as well as what they were trying to accomplish through fighting.

"This is one tough opponent to face."

Rei muttered.

"It may take all we have to even make her flinch."

Kyou added. Through the corner of her eyes, Yuri could tell that they were quite shaken. It was obvious that they could not fight this person.

"Katsuragi Rei."

She called out, breaking everyone's fear even if it were only for that slight moment.

"You guys need to go on ahead."

"What? Nakamura-san, you can't be serious in trying to take on Taeno Yuri all by yourself?"

"I am serious."

Yuki turned and stared hard at Rei.

"... You're not planning to die, are you?"

Rei asked, to which Yuri simply laughed.

"I don't plan on dying anytime soon. Besides... if there is one person right now who needs to have their sanity checked, it would that girl."

Yuri pointed back at Taeno Yuki.

"And I'm just what the doctor ordered to fix her little head."

Yuri reached into her pocket and pulled out a small disc. She threw it to Rei, who caught it and was puzzled by what it was until he read the label on it.

"A... shut-down program?"

"Otonashi gave it to me. You should know how to use it."

Rei knew how to use this disc but if Yuri did hand this to him, she must be dead set on fighting Yuki on her own. Rei held the disc tightly in his hand before pocketing it.

"... I do know how... These are the bullets you need."

Rei took out from his other pocket a box of bullets and wanted to hand it to Yuri but the leader of the SSS shook her head.

"I have no need of such things."

"But-"

"I am Nakamura Yuri, leader of the SSS and I shall do things my way."

Rei at that moment thought he saw a crown above Yuri's head. The crown of the true king. So this is the leader of the SSS. This is Nakamura Yuri.

"... Alright. If you say so."

"Katsuragi!"

Kyou wanted to protest but Rei shook his head.

"We do not have any time to waste. You know that."

"But her opponent is Taeno Yuki!"

"She can handle herself, besides... it is for the best."

Kyou had a slight inclination as to what Rei meant by 'it is for the best', but she still could not accept it.

"Yamato, do you think the same as him?"

Kyou turned to the thus-far silent de-facto leader of Guild. Kusanagi Yamato closed her eyes to think for a moment before she answered.

"I believe in Katsuragi's decisions."

Was what Yamato said. Kyou shook her head in disappointment but she resigned to the decision that they had made.

"Fine... we will continue on then."

Kyou sighed, leading the way to the other door which was behind the temple structure. But things were not as easy as that.

"Where do you think you're going? EXEC_ANGELPROGRAM : / / / SYSTEM_LINK WEAPONS_SKILL \ VOICE _ OF _ THE _ KING; ACTIVATE"

From the top of the steps of the temple, a powerful and commanding voice boomed, echoing throughout the entire place. It went through everyone, shaking them up from the inside, freezing their souls and their minds.

"'By the name of Taeno Yuki, KNEEL'"

At the command of those words, all of them fell to their knees, even though who managed to withstand the previous urge to kneel the first time were forced down to their knees. The compulsion to obey was too strong to resist.

"None shall leave this place but by MY WORD."

Taeno Yuki's voice echoed everywhere. Rei knew that they were running out of time but how could they get past this? Their bodies were forced to obey her every word and command and they had no control over it!

"... Don't be so conceited, you damn brat."

_[Defence Skill: Howling]_

A loud sound erupted throughout the platform, causing all to cower and cover their ears to shield themselves from the pain inflicted by the sound. The sound held such power that it caused the pillars around the platforms to crack. Taeno Yuki was even forced to flinch, resulting her previous skill being cancelled

"W-what was that?!"

Kyou looked up to see Nakamura Yuri holding onto a small item that looked like a USB flashdrive.

"That is-"

Taeno Yuki narrowed her eyes at the small item in Yuri's hand.

"It is something I had Kanade-chan prepare for me just in case... Katsuragi, now is your chance, go."

Yuri ordered. Katsuragi looked back to Taeno Yuki and saw that the Queen of Fort was focused on Yuri, not attempting to stop them any further. Yuri had managed to anger Yuki to the point where the Queen would only focus on her.

"... Alright, good luck."

Katsuragi got back up to his feet and led the way towards the exit. As Katsuragi thought, Yuki was now completely focused on Yuri to the point where she did not bother with the rest of the SSS and so the group managed to reach the exit, leaving Yuri to face Yuki all by her own. The USB piece suddenly crumbled into pieces in Yuri's hand.

"Hmmm, as Kanade-chan said... only good for one use."

Yuri smirked, turning to Yuki.

"Well then, 'Queen of the Rebels' (Usurper), shall we see who has the real right to lead (reign)?"

_[Boss Fight]_

_[2nd Division Leader: Fort]_

_[Taeno Yuki]_

_[Alignment: Chaotic Evil]_

_[Type: Pride]_

_[Level: 200_

_HP: 2000000000_

_MP: 5000000000_

_Strength: A_

_Agility: A_

_Endurance: A_

_Luck: S_

_Charisma: SSS]_

_[Weapons List:_

_- Sovereignty (Rank SSS)_

_- Dominion (Rank SS)_

_- Mark of the Emperor (Rank S)]_

**VERSUS**

_[SSS leader]_

_[Nakamura Yuri]_

_[Alignment: Chaotic Evil]_

_[Level: 105_

_HP: 1000000_

_MP: 2000000_

_Strength: B_

_Agility: B_

_Endurance: A_

_Luck: B_

_Charisma: S]_

_[Weapons List:_

_- Beretta 92 (Rank S)_

_- Dagger (Rank S)]_

* * *

The founder of the rebels, the charismatic, violent and ever positive Nakamura Yuri. She had created the SSS in order to fight against the despair of her life. She had led her people on the front lines, facing whatever danger there was head on. She did not allow unnecessary sacrifices and had earned the trust and friendship of those who fought by her side. She was leader who understand the feelings of those whom she led, as such when she decided to come back to this hell to right her wrongs, those who supported her before willingly stepped forward once more to stand by her side without any hint of hesitation. She is the 'leader' of the Rebels Against God. The revolutionary who never stands alone.

Standing against her, the one who quelled the squabbles of the hundreds, uniting the disorganised masses into a unified organisation. Reviving the old order of the SSS and transforming it into a military force to be reckoned with, the cold, calculating and uncompromising Taeno Yuki. She was the 'Queen' (Usurper) of the SSS2, the one who dealt with her enemies with the iron gauntlet of power. She leads from her throne, sending out her people to crush anything she wants before her. She knew the pains of sacrifices but still she pushed on. To her the weight of the many outweighed the loss of the few. She did not let emotion dictate her choices, but rather through the most logical choices that were available to her. She had the presence and power of Nobility, the mind of a tyrant and the heart of a demon.

She knew she could not afford to be soft, and so encased herself in the steel armour that shone brightly before others. A girl who refused to accept the past, a girl who hated the World. A girl who will destroy it if she had to. The Queen who sits upon the lonely throne. These two powerful individuals now faced one another, determined to prove that they are strong, that they are right, that they have the will to conquer all. The fight between the leader of the SSS and the leader of the SSS2. The Revolutionary against the Queen.

"So... you're the infamous Nakamura Yuri. The founder of the SSS."

Taeno Yuki spoke, breaking the silence. Yuri smiled back.

"And you're the notorious Taeno Yuki. The self-proclaimed Queen of the SSS2."

Yuki flinched at Yuri's words.

"... I have fought many wars, Nakamura-san. More than you will ever know in all of your lifetimes combined. I have fought from the beginning, fighting for survival in guerilla-styled warfare against the Shadows, fighting against the other survivors to unify the different factions, fighting discrimination to ensure that the organisation doesn't fall apart, fighting against the Angels, and also fighting against the Madness of this World... I have fought for decades, bled myself dry on all fields and spilt so much more SO DON'T TELL WHAT I CANNOT BE! YOU! WHO DID NOT HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE PAINS AND HARDSHIPS THAT I WENT THROUGH! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO TELL ME WHAT I CAN OR CANNOT DO! I HAVE EARNED MY RIGHT TO LEAD!"

Yuki snapped. Yuri narrowed her eyes at Yuki. She had known that Yuki had fought for so many years that she was more or less driven insane by war. But just how much did this girl have to suffer? Yuri felt a stabbing pain in her chest. This was all her fault. The program that had gone berserk was a result of her. If she had done things properly, would things be different? Maybe it might. But to Yuri, now wasn't the issue of pushing blame. She had to stop Yuki and the program from launching the apocalypse

"... I will not deny your pain, nor will I deny what you do. But there is a line that cannot be crossed. And you have crossed it."

Yuri quickly drew out her gun and aimed it straight at the Queen of the SSS2, firing off a shot. Yuki had seen in coming and stamped her cane hard on the ground.

"EXEC_ANGELPROGRAM : / / / SYSTEM_LINK WEAPONS_SKILL \ WALLS_OF_TROY ; ACTIVATE"

_[Taeno Yuki uses Walls of Troy]_

The bullet seemed to hit some sort of invisible wall, bouncing harmlessly away. Yuri fired a few more shots but to no avail. Whatever Yuki used, it had created a shield around her and prevented any form of attack made against her. The walls of Troy, the pride of the ancient city that managed to withstand the Greek siege for ten years of continuous fighting. It was impregnable from the outside, protecting the people who stayed within its walls safe from any and all attacks. Like its namesake, Yuki had created a barrier that did not allow anything to get through. But if it was like the tales of Troy, then it must have a weakness. Yuri spotted a small piece of stone nearby. She knew she only had one chance with it. She fired more shots at Yuki but as before, the shots did not get through. Yuri suddenly turned around and started to run in the other direction, away from Yuki. The Queen of Fort did not quite a list of things, and one of those is someone who challenges her and then simply runs away.

"Don't turn your back on me!"

Yuki shouted, running down from the temple. However it was the exact moment that her foot left the bottom step of the stairs that something she did not expect happened. An explosion erupted from the bottom of her foot, engulfing her in the blast. Yuri turned around and brought her gun up to aim. If there was one thing she understood about this world, it was that these SSS2 people were tough. A little too tough to be considered normal humans any longer. The worst of all would be the division leaders. Yuri had placed a grenade under one of the rocks that were chipped off from the cracks made by Kanade's Howling program. By timing it correctly, she released the pin and knew that Taeno Yuki would give chase. Just how did Yuri manage to do all of that in such a short period of time? She was Nakamura Yuri. There was no such thing as 'impossible' for her, only the word 'challenging'. The smoke from the explosion slowly started to clear and Yuri could see the figure of Yuki. Though injured and bruised, Yuki was still standing nonetheless.

"You... what did you do?!"

Yuki demanded.

"Nothing could get past the Walls of Troy! Not even an A class Angel!"

Yuri simply smiled back.

"'A Class'? I have no idea what you are talking about. I simply placed a grenade on the floor and you stepped within its blast. I like to call it, 'The Trojan Bomb'."

In the tales of Troy, the one that all think of is the famous Trojan Horse. A ruse thought up by the brilliant commander Odysseus to build a giant horse with Greek soldiers hidden within, presenting the horse to the Trojans as a peace offering as the Greeks pretended to sail away. As the Trojans worshipped Apollo, the Greek God of the Sun, their sacred animal was the horse. Filled with pride that they managed to push back the Greeks, the Trojans let down their guard and pulled the horse in and celebrated. But when they were all drunk and asleep, the Greeks slipped out of the horse and opened the gates, allowing the rest of the Greek army, who were simply waiting out of sight, to charge into the city and destroy it from within.

"Although not the same as the legend, the idea of the 'Trojan horse' was to get an attacker within the walls and weaken those behind the impregnable walls. To draw the enemy out of their wall (pride), and onto a field of my own terms. If the enemy cannot be drawn out, then one must see to it that the wall (pride) is not able to protect them, and that is from within. A wall (pride) can be strong and tall, but what lies on the other side is still the same as everyone, a frail, small child afraid of everything on the outside."

That remark caused a nerve to snap in Yuki.

"I... am... NOT A CHILD!"

Yuki screamed, stamping her cane down onto the ground.

"EXEC_ANGELPROGRAM : / / / SYSTEM_LINK WEAPONS_SKILL \ KNIGHTS_OF_THE_CROWN ; ACTIVATE"

_[Taeno Yuki uses Knights of the Crown]_

From the ground thousands of ghostly figures rose up, all dressed in medieval armour and carrying an assortment of weapons.

"Oi oi! That's against the rules!"

"I AM THE RULES! KNIGHTS! CHARGE!"

At Yuki's command, the ghost army of knights charged at Yuri. For the leader of the SSS, she only had her one pistol and a dagger. How could she possibly fight against an army of knights? Nevermind the fact that they were made up of some sort of ghostly form. The ghost knights seemed to march as one, matching each other in speed and step. In fact, it seemed too unnatural for them to be charging at her this way. But she still had to deal with them nonetheless. She noticed the pillars nearby. They had enough cracks to topple them easily. She took out the small coloured pill that Katsuragi Rei gave to all of them before and swallowed it. If she were to fight against super humans, she had to be super human herself.

"Access"

_[Access: Angel Program (Rei / Zero)]_

_[Administrator rights detected]_

_[Unlocking full access rights]_

_[System Overdrive Initiated]_

_[Power Levels: 4000%]_

_[All Skills unlocked]_

_[All Skills upgraded to Rank S]_

_[All stats upgraded by one Rank]_

"Here we go!"

Yuri raised one leg and sent it straight into the crack of the pillar, which was close to the bade. The pillar gave way, tilting over and crashing into the ghost army, crushing the knights under its weight.

_[Taeno Yuki receives 10000 damage]_

"! ! !"

Yuki gripped onto her chest in pain, something that did not escape Yuri's eyes.

"... So, the user suffers any attack done to it as well. Not a very good skill, if you ask me."

Yuri pointed out.

"No one asked you!"

Yuki snapped before stamping her cane once more.

"Knights! Shield!"

More ghostly knights appeared, carrying towering shields and marching in formation towards Yuri. This formation was something that Yuri recognised as being those of the ancient Roman legionnaires, towering shields to cover all angles of attack. Yuri fired a few shots but the rounds could not penetrate the shields.

"Knights! Archers!"

Yuri looked up and saw that hundred of arrows were launched into the air from behind the wall of shields. Yuri took cover behind one of the pillars, letting the rain of arrows rain down around her.

"Knights! Calvary!"

Behind the walls of shield knights came knights who rode atop ghostly horses. The shield formation parted ways in the centre, allowing the Calvary to charge out through the opening in the line. The Calvary charge destroyed the pillars that stood in its way, charging straight for Yuri. But Yuri still had a chance. She jumped out of the way, throwing a grenade that she pulled out earlier. The explosive flew straight into the middle of the ghost army's formation, blowing up and scattering the entire army of knights.

_[Taeno Yuki receives 1000000 damage]_

Yuki felt the full brunt of the attack despite not being in the front lines herself. It was not natural. Taeno Yuki was not receiving the same damage as her summons, but she was receiving it at least double the amount, and it was all directed to her chest. But Yuki did not give up.

"Knights! Pikes!"

More ghostly knights appeared, holding long pole weapons and standing formation, marching at Yuri.

"Pike formations are meant to deter a large enemy force. As the enemy army would also be in formation and be unable to move out of the way, a pike wall would be the best option... but not against a single opponent."

Yuri ran straight at the pike wall. It was true that rushing into a wall of sharp weapons is scary but Yuri had to overcome her fear. She had to break through Yuki's attacks and destroy her pride. It was not so much for the pleasure of causing her successor pain, but rather Yuri had to teach Yuki a lesson. A lesson that nothing was invincible. Yuri ran straight into the pikes, diving straight into the formation. Ignoring the cuts the weapons made, she crashed straight into the ghostly knights, drawing her knife and pistol, firing in all directions and cutting anything that came too close. And each time Yuri fell one of the ghost knights, Yuki felt the pain in her chest surge.

_[Taeno Yuki receives 1000 damage]_

_[Taeno Yuki receives 1000 damage]_

_[Taeno Yuki receives 1000 damage]_

_[Taeno Yuki receives 1000 damage]_

_[Taeno Yuki receives 1000 damage]_

_[Taeno Yuki receives 1000 damage]_

_[Taeno Yuki receives 1000 damage]_

_[Taeno Yuki receives 1000 damage]_

The pain was too much for Yuki to bear, causing her to fall to her knees, clutching onto her chest as she tried not to scream out in pain.

"Stop using your knights! It's only causing you pain!"

Yuri shouted at the leader of the SSS2, who struggled back to her feet.

"Do... not... tell me... what I must DO! KNIGHTS! CALVARY!"

"Ahh, that stubborn masochist of a fool!"

Yuri decided that her best option now was to charge straight for the leader of it all, Yuki herself. Calvary charges were frightening to face head on, but the problem with Calvary charges was the fact that it needed large open spaces to be effective. A horse needed space and time to build up speed and momentum to become the powerful weapon that it is known to be. By closing in the gap, Yuri could diminish the amount of power the Calvary charge had. If these horses were real, Yuri could use her gun to create a loud noise to frighten the horses, but these were not normal horses. These were from the power within Taeno Yuki. The power of Pride.

There was only two ways to fight against someone who has an immense amount of pride and stubbornness, one was to take them head-on and the other was to let them blow past before attacking from the side or rear. The problem with taking someone like that head-on was the fact that it was reckless and if you did not have the determination or same stubbornness as your opponent, you will fall. Pride is a giant wall that someone builds over time that is strong and nearly invincible. The best option is always taking on such enemies from the side or the rear.

"LIKE HELL I WILL DO THAT!"

Yuri snapped, switching the ammunition clip in her pistol to another one.

"EVEN IF IT IS AN INSURMOUNTABLE WALL, ONCE THERE IS A CRACK-"

She aimed the pistol.

"IT WILL FALL!"

She fired her pistol and once went off was not a pistol, but more akin to a cannon explosion. The amount of firepower packed into that one shot sent shock waves throughout the platform, engulfing the ghost army with a fiery explosion that incinerated even the surrounding pillars. Yuki saw the explosion heading towards her and slammed her cane down on the ground.

"EXEC_ANGELPROGRAM : / / / SYSTEM_LINK WEAPONS_SKILL \ WALLS_OF_TROY ; ACTIVATE"

_[Taeno Yuki uses Walls of Troy]_

The invisible wall surrounded Yuki once more right before the explosion could reach her, protecting her from harm. Or so she thought.

**BANG**

A second shot. Her shield suffered a crack.

**BANG**

Another shot. The crack grew in size.

**BANG**

A third shot. Her entire shield was no loner able to hold. Crack lines streaked across the entire barrier, then-

"YURIPPE STUBBORN HEAD BUSTING KICK!"

From the clouds of fire and dust, a foot came crashing straight into Yuki's wall of Troy, not only shattering the wall, but also kicking Yuki in the stomach as well.

"GAH!"

Yuki fell backwards, sliding across the floor from the sheer momentum of the attack. Standing back up to her feet, Yuri smirked at the Queen of the SSS2.

"I destroyed your pathetic wall twice. What else can you throw at me?"

Yuri laughed. Certainly she does deserve the title of 'evil overlord' (created by Hinata). Yuki gritted her teeth as she crawled to her knees, coughing up some blood as she tried to suppress the pain. She will not tolerate failure. She will not tolerate this sort of weakness. She will not tolerate this humiliation.

"I... am... the Queen!"

"EXEC_ANGELPROGRAM : / / / SYSTEM_LINK WEAPONS_SKILL \ VOICE _ OF _ THE _ KING; ACTIVATE"

_[Taeno Yuki used Voice of the King (EX) ]_

Yuri suddenly felt a change in the air. Her body felt a strange reverberation throughout. It felt cold, as though her very Soul was being drawn out. This was not the same as before. It was more powerful, more commanding. Yuki got back up to her feet, her face contorted with pure hatred and anger at Yuri.

"I will not be denied... IN THE NAME OF TAENO YUKI, QUEEN OF THE SSS2! I COMMAND YOU, KNEEL!"

Like a strange giant force was being pressed down on Yuri, so much so that her leg gave way and she was forced onto her knees.

"T-this is-"

"You stand before the Queen of Fort! Know your place!"

Yuki stamped her cane down on the ground, creating a shock wave that hit Yuri hard in the chest.

"Ugh!"

"You... do not know what I have gone through... The pain... the suffering... You, who had once suffered as I did, yet found happiness in the end... will never understand my resolve."

"Just for revenge... you will destroy this World?"

Yuri dared to look up to Yuki.

"I will destroy anything and everything that is related to 'that' World! It is diseased, vile and filled with darkness! Wars! Famine! Disasters! Hatred and intolerance! Such a World is better off GONE!"

* * *

_Before entering Pride_

"The cause of the number of SSS2 personnel?"

Yuri asked, to which Rei nodded back.

"Yes. No matter how you look at it, the number of people in the SSS2 are much too high. Given the sixty to seventy years that the SSS2 has been around for, it is still impossible for its numbers to rise to a million and yet the number of SSS2 has already reached that number, even higher than that."

Yuri thought about that and found it to be true. No matter how many scenarios Yuri tried to play in her head, that number still does not add up.

"So what is the cause?"

Yuri asked. Rei took a pause before answering that.

"... The answer is Taeno Yuki."

"Taeno... Yuki? You mean my successor?"

Rei nodded back.

"Yes. This World is connected back to reality and therefore anything drastic that happens in the afterlife can affect reality. I believe that Taeno Yuki is behind the large number of people entering this Afterlife and therefore she holds an immense amount of power... and madness. Dealing with her will be difficult."

* * *

_Present_

Yuri did not really understand all that Rei had said but she understood this simple fact. Taeno Yuki's madness had indirectly caused these young people to suffer despair and suffering in their lives, which resulted in them being here. It was similar to Kanade's case, where Kanade's wish to pass on was to meet Yuzuru. Yuzuru had no regrets and did not need to enter the Afterlife, however he did so and met Kanade, therefore fulfilling her regrets. For Taeno Yuki, in her madness she wanted everyone to suffer just as she did. That large amount of negativity and despair had affected the World of the Living and caused the many deaths of young people across the World. War, famine, global disasters, political intolerance, riots, protests, storms, rebellions, spite, hatred. All of those can be traced back to Yuki. This has to end and it has to end now.

"Just because you suffered a great pain in the past does not mean you have to drag others into it as well!"

Yuri shouted at Yuki, who only became more infuriated.

"ALL MUST KNOW THE PAIN I SUFFERED IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND WHAT DARKNESS THEY HAVE INFLICTED UPON THE WORLD!"

"Don't go pushing your pain onto others!"

"WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT PAIN?!"

"EXEC_ANGELPROGRAM : / / / SYSTEM_LINK WEAPONS_SKILL \ VOICE _ OF _ THE _ KING; ACTIVATE"

_[Taeno Yuki uses Voice of the King (EX) ]_

"IN THE NAME OF TAENO YUKI, QUEEN OF THE SSS2! I COMMAND YOU, DIE!"

Yuki stamped her cane once more.

"EXEC_ANGELPROGRAM : / / / SYSTEM_LINK WEAPONS_SKILL \ KNIGHTS_OF_THE_CROWN; ACTIVATE"

_[Taeno Yuki uses Knights of the Crown]_

"KNIGHTS! CALVARY!"

An army of ghost knights on horses appeared and charged straight for Yuri. Yuri gritted her teeth, still in her kneeling position. She could not move because of Yuki's skill.

.

.

.

"As if I will let something like this stop me."

Yuri suddenly got up to her feet and charged straight at the ghost knights. Pulling the pin from a grenade, she threw it at the knights and brought out her pistol. She aimed the weapon at the right moment, firing off a round directly at the grenade right as it was falling towards the ground. The resulting explosion from both the super-charged bullet and the grenade blast destroyed the entire ghost army.

_[Taeno Yuki receives 1000000 damage]_

Yuki gripped her chest as the pain surged through her. But more than the pain, she was angry and confused about one thing.

"How... HOW CAN YOU BE MOVING?!"

"EXEC_ANGELPROGRAM : / / / SYSTEM_LINK WEAPONS_SKILL \ VOICE _ OF _ THE _ KING; ACTIVATE"

"[Taeno Yuki uses Voice of the King]

"KNEEL!"

But Yuki's command did not reach Yuri, who ran through the explosion and headed straight for Yuki.

"STOP!"

Yuri did not stop.

"I COMMAND YOU TO STOP!"

But Yuri still continued to run at Yuki. No matter what command or shout Yuki threw at Yuri, it did not work.

"No... no NO!"

Yuki could not stop Yuri. Bringing up her cane to defend herself as Yuri jumped into the air and crashed straight into the Queen of Fort. Pinning Yuki down on the floor with her weight, Yuri produced her knife and destroyed Yuki's cane.

"Ha! Now you've lost your SSS weapon!"

Was what Yuri would gloat but even so the defiant eyes of Yuki was still burning strong.

"How... how can you not be affected by my Voice?"

Yuki growled at Yuri, who merely smirked as she brushed the hair away from her ear.

"Eh? Sorry but I can't hear you through these ear plugs. You'll have to speak louder."

Yuki was even angrier when she realised what Yuri had done. Not only had Yuri managed to defy Yuki's orders, but the SSS leader had completely ignored her.

Left alone.

Ignored.

No one listens to her.

No one listens to her cries.

Nothing goes her way.

The pain.

The despair.

The darkness.

The suffering.

The madness.

The World must suffer.

The World must know of her pain.

The World is corrupt.

The World is dirtied.

The World is filled with darkness.

The World must be destroyed.

"Do not... **IGNORE ME**!"

In a great explosion of lights, Yuri was forced off Yuki, thrown back some distance as she shielded her eyes from the brightness. Was that cane not Yuki's weapon?! This intensity was familiar. It was commanding, grand, powerful and undeniable. This is... SIN.

_[Program: Initialized]_

_[Corruption level: 1000%]_

_[Engaging DEMON protocol]_

**"I am the grandest of all sins. **

**I am the foundation of society **

**And the fall of man. **

**I am the deliverance of evil **

**And the invisible shield of man. **

**I stand above all, **

**And none shall take my throne from me while I still breathe. **

**I have the blood of nobility, **

**The soul of royalty. **

**I rule over Worlds **

**And destroy them with ease. **

**Do not dare to look down on me for I will never forgive, **

**Nor shall I forget. **

**I am the rebellion,**

**I am the revolution.**

**I am the one who will not be ignored.**

**I am the one who will make all listen to my cries.**

**I sit upon my lonely throne,**

**none shall stand by my side.**

**I am the light that shines brightly for all.**

**I am the indispensable power of nations.**

**The driving force of people.**

**I can bring people up,**

**I can thumb them down.**

**I can make people feel more than what they are worth,**

**And stop people from achieving anything.**

**Scorned by the high heavens, **

**I am the high angel who dared to rebel against God. **

**Defiance is my calling.**

**Arrogance is my creed. **

**Heed my name and cower before my presence for**

**I AM LUCIFER,**

**I AM SUPERBIA,**

**I AM PRIDE!"**

_[Lucifer; Activate]_

_[Boss Fight]_

_[Incarnation of Pride: Lucifer]_

_[Taeno Yuki]_

_[SERAPH; Activated]_

_[Songs of the Heaven equipped]_

_[Alignment Change: Lawful Good]_

_[Level: 500_

_HP: 900000000000_

_MP: 900000000000_

_Strength: SS_

_Agility: SSS_

_Endurance: SS_

_Luck: SSS_

_Charisma: EX]_

_[Weapons List:_

_- Sovereignty (Rank SSS)_

_- Dominion (Rank SS)]_

Yuri could not stop staring at the being who was before her.

"... Oi oi, this is no longer funny."

* * *

A/N: The emphasis for this battle is obviously the 'old' versus the 'new', the 'rebel' versus the 'Queen'. Kind of fun to write. But the next one will be painful... really painful...


	53. Chapter 53

A/N: And so this is the second part of the fight! Shorter than what I thought it would be, but nevermind. As for why the fight in the previous chapter seemed familiar? I mean the earplugs thingy... it's because it was actually in the anime. Yuri used the same tactic against one of Kanade's Harmonics clone when the clone used howling. I've been wanting to throw in that part again for some time.

As I stated in the previous chapter, this one is going to be painful to read... both physically and mentally painful. Be prepared. A lot of hate in this one... caps lock rage all the way.

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 53_

_Yuki vs Yuri_

Angels. A type of celestial being that are said to be messengers and warriors of the high Heavens. They represent Order, perfection and tranquillity. They are the virtues of what men strive to be and are pure in all forms. They represent all that is good in the World and are an existence closest to God. However there is one Angel who believes himself to be equal to the God he is suppose to serve. The Angel of Light, the one who is said to be beautiful and all powerful however had gotten drunk of pride and defied the will of the Heavens, resulting in him being cast down to the deepest pits of Hell where he reigns as one of the seven most prominent beings in Hell.

There are multiple reasons as to why such a powerful Angel wanted to challenge God, but it is often said that he felt himself to be higher than others and therefore openly rebelled in order to get what he believed to be rightfully his. He was an Angel who did not see man in the same way as God, believing himself to be more worthy of God's love than man. When God commanded the Angels to respect man, Lucifer refused, believing man to be imperfect and not worthy of God's attention. Lucifer, the 'Morning Star', a fallen Angel sent down from the heavens as punishment for defying the will of God. The very symbol of Pride, the being who believed himself to be greater than what he truly is. The 'Morning Star', the 'Light Bringer', the most beautiful of all Angels. Lucifer.

"... Well, she certainly does look the part."

Nakamura Yuri muttered to no one in particular as she now faced against Taeno Yuki, the Queen of Fort after she had activated her true powers. Taeno Yuki was no longer the same as before. Where once she wore the SSS2 uniform, she now wore a full set of golden medieval Armour. Grand and covered with detailed designs, it was beautiful to look at and it certainly gave the feeling of immense power. From her back were six large white feathered wings, each flapping slowly yet still able to keep her off the ground. Adorned upon her head was a golden Crown covered with beautiful gems and valuable stones. Yuki's entire being was grand and imposing to the point where Yuri could not take her eyes off her.

"That is one nice armour."

Yuri could not help but point out.

"I'm guessing that your SSS weapon was not your cane, but rather your beret, which has now been transformed into that crown."

"... The symbols of the right to rule has long been a crown. To rest the importance of the King upon one's head, where the mind, the intelligence is the true meaning behind the power of the rulers."

Yuki answered back. An Angel in full armour. That was certainly what Yuki seemed to be. But an Angel to pronounce himself to be King, that was more than pride. That was pure arrogance. The corrupted power of the Crown. Taeno Yuki's crown. Sovereignty. The mark of the ruler.

"You stand before the grand Crown of the high heavens, and yet you still defy its presence?"

Yuki glared down at Yuri, who forced a smirk. She wasn't feeling all that confident in fighting Yuki, but it was something she had to do. She had to end this fight now, before everything Yuki did would bring about the destruction of the living World. The Apocalypse program was something that both Yuzurus feared would destroy both this Afterlife and the World of the Living, but Katsuragi Rei warned Yuri about Yuki's 'other' power. It is through Yuki's unintended wish for everyone to know her suffering that she had inadvertently caused the World of the Living to go out of balance.

People in the living World were meeting untimely deaths all just so that Yuki could have her way. Although each and every one of these SSS2 suffered different pains in life, and it would be a far stretch to say Yuki directly caused their deaths, it is not by any far margin to say that Yuki's wish had shifted the 'fate' of the many. In more ways than one, Yuki's 'wish' was too dangerous to be left alone.

"I do not see a need to bow before you."

Yuri answered defiantly.

"You face absolute power but do not fear. Do you have a death wish?"

"I have no reason to fear a false ruler."

That hit a nerve in Yuki.

"... 'False'?"

"You heard me the first time. You are a false leader. A false 'Angel'. The crown that you wear upon your head may shine brightly but can never carry the weight of the true crown for the King. A false imitation that will dull with time."

Yuki would hear not more of it. Her anger peaked, her eyes saw nothing but hatred.

"You... will not... DENY ME MY RIGHT!"

She clapped her hands together and when she pulled her hands apart a light appeared in-between her palms, growing larger and fiercer the further she pulled her hands apart. The light became so large that it dwarfed the Temple structure on the platform.

"MY DIVINE RIGHT!"

_[Taeno Yuki uses Sacrament]_

Yuki 'threw' the light at Yuri and the giant ball of energy hurdled straight for the SSS leader. Yuri had no place to hide from this attack and she was sure her own attacks would do nothing against it. There was but one thing she could do. Run.

"I hate this!"

Yuri screamed as she turned and ran as far as she could from the ball of light, which crashed into the ground and erupted in a giant explosion. Yuri managed to escape the main blast but the sheer pressure from the explosion knocked her flat onto the ground.

"Ow ow ow... that really hurt."

Yuri muttered, scrambling back to her feet. The blast from that attack created a crater right in the middle of the platform, incinerating anything within its attack radius.

"This isn't funny... Not one bit."

Yuri looked up at the powerful flying 'Queen'. She was too powerful in this state. Just how could Yuri ever hope to bring her down?

"You see my power first hand!"

Yuki shouted at Yuri.

"Now you shall taste it!"

Clapping her hands together once more, Yuki pulled her hands apart, but unlike before, she used her right hand to grab the light that formed and when she pulled, a long golden sword adorned with jewels emerged from her left palm.

_[Taeno Yuki equips Dominion (Rank SS) ]_

Dominion. The reign of an empire. A power to rule over land and people. From the Crown of the King, outstretching his reach to claim another. It is a symbol of the Crown and all that stands beneath its glory. Upon the sword that is wielded by the Crown, it will unleash untold power to those who oppose the right of rule. As a symbol of the Crown and its power, it is by extension the Crown itself. Without waiting, Taeno Yuki flew straight down at Yuri. Yuri could not dodge in time and brought out her combat knife, blocking the attack just in time. But a mere knife could not compare with the might of a holy sword and was starting to crack.

Yuri could not push Yuki back but she brought out her pistol and aimed it straight at Yuki's head. Firing a shot, Yuri managed to force Yuki back. Yuki flew high up and dove straight back down at Yuri. Instead of a head-on clash, Yuki flew in at an angle, hitting Yuri's blade clean out of her hands. With Yuki's next dive, Yuri had no choice but to dodge, jumping to one side to avoid the attack. Yuki flew up once more and dove straight for Yuri. The leader of SSS was without a weapon to stop the incoming attack but her foot felt something on the floor. Without waiting, she picked it up and used it to defend herself. What she then realised was that she was holding onto the top half of Yuki's broken cane.

_[Nakamura Yuri equips Mark of the Emperor (half) ]_

The two held their ground as sparks flew from the clash of the two weapons. The power held within each and the mark of rule for the two of them. The leader of the SSS and the leader of the SSS2.

"For the right to rule, absolute power to crush all is needed. My World is my dominion! My word is law!"

Yuki shouted as she pressed harder

"Your word is a mere complaint of a dissatisfied child!"

Yuri shouted back, not giving up any ground in defiance to Yuki.

"I AM NOT A CHILD!"

"You sure act like one!"

"YOU CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHAT I WENT THROUGH!"

"WHO WANTS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE WHINING ABOUT! NO ONE KNOWS WHAT YOU'RE SUFFERING FROM AND NO ONE WANTS TO!"

"THE WORLD NEEDS TO KNOW WHAT DARKNESS HAS DEFILED IT! THEY NEED TO KNOW WHAT I HAVE SUFFERED! KNOW WHAT DARKNESS THEY HAVE CREATED!"

Yuki screamed, releasing a large amount of energy, a large amount of madness. What madness was this? It was not the normal type madness that Yuri had felt before. This was... pain. True despair. True suffering. It was true madness. And from that darkness Yuri could hear the faint cry.

The faint words a mere whisper.

Whispers that were soft yet clearly audible from the depths of Yuki's screams.

A cry of pain.

A cry of suffering.

A cry of despair.

Of desperation.

Two words.

Two words that opened the doors to the darkest pits of despair.

.

.

.

"Ma ma."

* * *

It was merely an accident. That was what the media portrayed. A disaster that could have been averted if not for the mistakes of man. It would be enough it that were the case. It should have ended there. But why did it not? Where did it all go wrong? Perhaps in the beginning. Perhaps it was never an accident in the first place. Perhaps it was all planned. An accident. That was what they wanted everyone know it as. Her village was a small one in the rural areas of the mountains.

She was happy, content with the life she had. Perhaps she may have liked moving to the city one day, become a boring OL (Office Lady) and go out for drinks with colleagues. She had seen some drama of the television of life in the city. While it was not all roses and honey, it was different from her life in the small village. She wanted some different, not that she hated her life, but wanted something with more excitement from her mundane life. But she did not want this. Not this pain. Not this darkness.

It was branded as an accident. After all, how else could a large tanker containing a dangerous experimental gas have skidded off the road and crashed into the valley below where her village was? No one knows what the gas was or where it was suppose to go, but what it did was wipe out the entire population of the village, causing agonising pain and internal bleeding to all those who inhaled it. A chemical weapon, one that would cause the victims to have their internal organs breakdown and bleed. Their skins would crack and flake off like ashes. It was a pain worse than death.

But there was one who was not affected. A lone girl who was seemingly immune. A lone girl who was forced to witness the slow death of her family, her friends, of everyone she knew. The pain and despair as she held onto the frail hand of her mother, frantically wiping the blood from the different wounds that never cease to stop until there was nothing left. The crying pains of her young brother, who could not stop choking on his body fluids, would suddenly stop by the next afternoon. Her father who simply gave up and slipped away in the middle of the night. No one survived but her. She was the only one who was affected. It was an accident.

The government surrounded the village and quarantined it. Seeing the people moving around in large white suits, their dark intentions hidden behind those opaque face masks. She could only see her own face, weathered down by the despair that she had to suffer through. That should have been the end of it. That it was a tragic accident and life would return to normal. But it did not end. Not for her. Her nightmare had not ended. For a chemical that could kill hundreds in a matter of days, how was it that she could live? Those responsible wanted to know. Wanted to know no matter the cost. The result of such hunger to know was that she was imprisoned by those responsible and subjected to horrible torture and experiments.

She wasn't human to them. She was a mere test subject. A mere living piece of organism that would not succumb to their deadly gas. No matter how much she cried, no matter how much she begged, it would not end. The test, the pain, the suffering, it would never end. But why? Why did she have to go through all of this? Were the police blind to the truth? Why didn't anyone help her? The answer was simple. No one knew about it. The report to the media was that there was a terrible disease that killed everyone in the village.

Of course they failed to say that it was a chemical attack, or there was a lone survivor, because to them, there was no disease and there was no survivor. She did not exist. Whoever was responsible could change the news as they wished, could turn and bend the truth of what actually happened. Why? Because they had power. Because they had money. She would never be free. She was never free. She came realise that it wasn't only the ones responsible for the gas attack that was wrong.

It wasn't only the government that was bought with dirtied money to turn a blind eye to such atrocities. It wasn't only the police who were ordered by those government officials to close the case. It was the entire state of society. The darkness that lies within the hearts of all human beings. Those that chose to close their eyes and turn away from the horrible truth, just so merely they can be ignorant about it and not get mixed up in its affairs. What terrible sequence of events that happen so far from their peaceful lives that they cannot feel it for themselves. They merely turn on the television and see such horrible things on the news. They can only say 'what a horrible things to occur', or 'what a tragedy'. But they do not know such things.

Their words do not carry that sincerity. They do not care for the pain of others so long as they are not involved. What they do not know cannot harm their peaceful way of life. And so they turn away, say things they do not mean or understand and simply walk away. She was powerless to do anything. She was a mere child. No one would help her. In true despair, she faced pain like no other. The horror of dark face of humans. But she still lived. She still struggled as hard as she could to live. She did not know why she did so but her body pushed herself. To endure the pain, the suffering, the darkness. Endure it all.

But for what? The darkness was too great. The darkness within the hearts of humans would never be clean. She would forever be trapped in pain. She hated it. She hated it all. She hated this World, she hated its people, she hated God. The fire that helped her survive through those pains had turned black with hatred and madness. If she could not change it, she will destroy it. The fire within her, the hatred for the World grew. She will have her revenge on everything, be it in the World of the living. Or after.

* * *

The darkness within her heart was strong. Too strong that Nakamura Yuri was unsure what she could do. With that one burst of emotion, Taeno Yuki had released a large amount of darkness that was within her heart and Yuri had managed to catch a glimpse of sort of madness Yuki held within her. But what Yuri saw was beyond her ability to grasp. The madness, the darkness within Yuki was too much to handle. It was intense and too much for one person to hold within themselves, so just what did Yuki do in order to hold all of that in?

It wasn't only the darkness of her own pain and death that Yuki held, but a deeply rooted hatred for humans and the World. Her hatred was not unfounded as she had suffered first hand at the hands of the dark side of human society. But what was she doing was taking out her anger on everyone, even those who weren't involved. Yuri knew Yuki was angry at society for harbouring such darkness and she had every right to be. But there are so many things wrong with it.

"THE PEOPLE WHO TURNED THEIR BACKS ON ME ARE WRONG!"

Yuki screamed as the two clashed again.

"THOSE PEOPLE DID NOTHING TO YOU!"

Yuri snapped back, feeling her power lose out. In a bid of desperation, she swung her leg at Yuki, connecting the hit and sending the Queen flying. But Yuki quickly recovered and charged straight at Yuri once more.

"THEY WOULD NEVER DO ANYTHING! EVEN IF IT WERE TO HAPPEN RIGHT BEFORE THEM!"

"IS IT SO WRONG FOR THEM TO FEAR FOR THEIR LIVES? !"

"YES! THEY HAD TO POWER TO STOP THE SUFFERING OF OTHERS YET THEY STOOD BY AND LET IT HAPPEN!"

"NOT EVERYONE CAN HAVE THE COURAGE TO STEP FORWARD! PEOPLE ARE POWERLESS BECAUSE THEY ARE AFRAID OF DANGER! THAT THEIR LIVES WILL CHANGE FOR A WORSE!"

"AND SO THEY LIVE ONLY FOR THEMSELVES!"

"WHAT IS SO WRONG WITH THAT? !"

Yuri literally butted heads with Yuki as they clashed. Neither would give up ground to the other.

"EVERYTHING IS WRONG! EVERYTHING IS WRONG AND MUST BE DESTROYED!"

"PEOPLE CAN CHANGE!"

"THEY WILL NOT! HUMANS ARE DISGUSTING CREATURES WHO CARE ONLY OF THEMSELVES! THEY WILL NEVER CHANGE! THEY ONLY DO THINGS TO THEIR OWN BENEFIT! TO PLEASE THEIR EGO! TO EASE THEIR OWN GUILT! THOSE FALSE SMILES! THOSE LIES THAT THEY SPEW IN ORDER TO MAKE THEMSELVES LOOK BETTER BEFORE OTHERS! TO MAKE THEMSELVES FEEL GOOD ABOUT THEMSELVES! TO BELIEVE THAT THEY CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! THEY CANNOT CHANGE ANYTHING! THEY CANNOT EVEN CHANGE THEMSELVES!"

Such hatred in her words, such sadness in her actions. Yuki was a child who was consumed by her pain and will not let it go. That hatred and pain was far greater than all of the previous division leaders combined! And they said that the leader of the sixth Division, Kurogane Kou, is the strongest? If that were true, Yuri can only fear for the worst. But she had to deal with Yuki at present. The fiercer Yuki became, the darker her madness. The darker her madness, the more corruption she would send into the Angel Program, thus accelerating the Apocalypse program.

Her darkness would also cause far greater consequences in the living World. More people would meet horrible fates and end up in this World. That was something Yuri must prevent at all costs. But how? Yuri had faced a painful past herself, but what she faced was nothing compared to Yuki. It was painful, being the cause of the deaths of your own siblings. Your own failures had cost the lives of those you hold dear. But Yuri had found strength in her comrades. She had found meaning to her life and peace to her pain. Yuki was someone who stuck stubbornly to her own pride.

"You... HARD HEADED FOOL!"

Rearing back, Yuri quickly bent forward, slamming her head hard against Yuki's.

"Gah!"

_[Taeno Yuki receives 10 damage]_

Yuki staggered back from the sudden attack. While Yuri was not in a completely unscathed form, she was better focused than the Queen of Fort. Who is suppose to be the hard headed one? Without waiting, Yuri ran towards Yuki and grabbed her face, using her momentum and slam Yuki into the ground.

_[Taeno Yuki receives 1000 damage]_

Yuki slammed her fists into the ground, causing the ground to crack and made Yuri unbalanced. Using this opportunity, Yuki pulled in her legs before kicking them out into Yuri's abdomen, forcing the SSS leader back.

"If you think that you can stop me, then come and try!"

Yuki snapped, drawing her sword once more and charging straight at Yuri.

"I will do more than try!"

Yuri shouted back, bringing up her half of Yuki's cane and colliding once more with Yuki.

"I will show you that there is still hope for humanity! That there are good people still willing to make a change!"

"Their change will be futile! Even if they manage to change, the impact will not be strong! It will never last! Human nature will always revert back to the darkness!"

"That does not mean they cannot try!"

Yuri pushed Yuki back and cocked her arm back before throwing one strong punch into Yuki's face, knocking the Queen back.

"Humans will never learn! The mistakes they make will always repeat themselves!"

Yuki shout, throwing a punch at Yuri as well.

"And that is why people must be reminded of what not to do!"

"I will remind them by wiping them all out!"

"That will never solve the problem!"

"That will erase the problem!"

"Humans bicker and quarrel over small things! They cannot agree to anything! They will fight, kill and destroy one another! Humans will bring themselves to destruction either way!"

"That does not give you the right to make it so! Humans can change! They can learn! Even if they cannot, it will be up to those of us who are willing to make a change to make them remember!"

"They will never listen to you! They will never follow your example! Society will stay rotten even after you have tried to clean it!"

"Then we shall do it again! We will keep trying to change the dark fate of humanity until we die! And when we do, it will be up to the new generation to make the World see that change!"

"That is merely a waste of time and effort! It all amounts to nothing!"

"The value of your actions are not determined by its immediate results! You make the value of your own actions! Whether it is meaningful or not depends on yourself! Whether you will change the future, whether your change will last for a thousand years does not matter! What matters is that you took the chance to make that change!"

"I HAD NO CHOICE IN MY LIFE FOR THAT HOPE!"

Yuki released a large wave of madness.

"I WAS TORTURED! ABUSED! USED AND THROWN AWAY LIKE A DOLL! HUMANS WILL NEVER CHANGE! THEY CLING ONTO THE PAST LIKE IT IS SOME TREASURE TO BE GLORIFIED! THEY REMAIN FOREVER VENGEFUL AGAINST THOSE WHO WRONGED THEIR ANCESTORS! NEVER BELIEVING THAT THEY CAN FORGIVE ONE ANOTHER! HUMANS CAN NEVER FORGIVE NOR FORGET ANY WRONG DONE TO THEM! AND THEY WILL RESENT THAT IN THEIR MINDS, IN THEIR SOULS, IN THEIR VERY BLOOD! THEY WILL TEACH THEIR CHILDREN, AND THEIR CHILDREN'S CHILDREN TO HATE! THE CYCLE WILL CONTINUE FOR AS LONG AS HUMANS EXISTS! HUMANS ARE BORN TO HATE ONE ANOTHER!"

"But as long as one person is willing to change that, things will end! To end the cycle of hate-"

"NO ONE WILL END IT! HUMANS WILL CONTINUE THE CHAIN OF HATRED FOR ALL TIME! THEY WILL WAGE WAR OVER PETTY SQUABBLES! THEY WILL KILL ONE ANOTHER OVER PIECES OF ROCK! THEY WILL FORCE THEMSELVES ONTO OTHERS WHO DO NOT AGREE! HUMANITY IS A RACE THAT IS DOOMED TO DIE! THAT IS BORN FROM DARKNESS AND MADNESS! THAT FEED UPON HATRED AND SPITE! HUMANS WILL FOREVER BE A PLAGUE UPON THE LAND!"

At this point, Yuri has had just about enough of this. To deal with this spoilt child, not matter her past, is something she could not stand. And so a nerve had to snap in her head.

"What... makes you... think THAT YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO JUDGE OTHERS!"

Yuri used the broken cane and parried Yuki's sword away, twisting her body one round before bringing the cane in one arc from the bottom upwards, hitting Yuki's wrists. Through sheer power Yuri forced Yuki's sword out of her hands and into the air, destroying the entire cane in the process. Yuri jumped back and raised her hand into the air just as the sword fell back down from the air and landed in Yuri's hands.

"Just because you have suffered some great pain, some great despair in your life does not make you capable of judging the whole human race! Don't drag everyone down to your level you damn spoilt brat!"

"SHINGI: HAOU NO SHUKEN (Sovereignty of the Conqueror)"

Swinging the sword, Yuri slammed the broad side of the blade into Yuki, sending the Queen of the SSS2 into the air.

_[Taeno Yuki receives 100000 damage]_

"I-impossible! H-how can someone use Dominion? !"

Yuki demanded as she recovered in mid-air.

"Dominion was the mark of the King, the symbol of rule! How can someone other than the King have the right to-"

Yuki stopped as she saw Yuri once more. Light from the false Sun above shone brightly, making a strange shape appear Yuri's head. A faint, yet strong, that mirage made from the light was undeniable. The shape of a crown.

"The... the mark of rule."

Yuki understood it now. Dominion could be used by Nakamura Yuri because Yuri was someone who had the right of Rule. Nakamura Yuri wasn't just some rebel, wasn't some revolutionary who defied the wills of fate. She was the leader of the SSS. She was its founder. She was the King. The first King upon these lands. It was at this point in time that Yuki realised it. Her flaw. Pride is to believe oneself to be more than others. To be special, to be the only one in the World. That was not true. Even Kings had their equals. No one was special. There would always be others like yourself. You are but one in the thousands. This is the flaw of Pride. But it was too late now.

"Don't look away from your opponent!"

Yuri's voice snapped Yuki out of her thoughts. Looking upwards, she saw Yuri in the air, having jumped off the pillars and bringing the large golden sword down on Yuki.

_[Taeno Yuki receives 10000000 damage]_

Crashing into the crater she had made herself with her 'Sacrament' skill, Yuki was pinned down by Yuri, who raised the sword high above her head. Was this the end? Was this how Yuki would meet her end? To lose once more to the fates of her sad life? In the end, she was still powerless. When she wanted more power, she went all out for it. But no matter what, that power was not enough. It was never enough. The more power she wanted, the worse the situation became. The more people she recruited and trained, the more the enemy forces their hand. The more she tried to push the organisation forward, the more resistance she meets from within. Was she wrong? Was she going down the wrong path all this time?

"You aren't wrong."

Yuri said, stabbing the sword into the ground next to Yuki. Yuki turned and saw her own reflection on the blade's surface. Since when did she become so haggard? So tired? Was this the result of all of her hard work? All of her efforts to change fate? Was it all for naught?

"Your intentions were right... but placed in the wrong direction."

Yuri muttered, staring straight into Yuki's eyes.

"... Wrong... direction?"

"It is true that humans are vile creatures. They fight one another for petty things, for things long past and have no bearing for the present or future. They are creatures who would care for no one but themselves. These are all true and to deny it would be denying yourself."

"My... self?"

"Because you are one of those humans yourself."

"! ! !"

"Earlier, you refused to believe that there are people willing to make a change, that even if they tried to change the World humans will only revert back to their dark state. Even if wars should end, new ones will only arise later on, fuelled by the bitterness and hatred of the past... But... aren't you one of those humans who tried to make a change yourself?"

The moment Yuki heard that, something in her seemed to click. A heart beat. A strange resonance within her.

"You are one of those who tried to correct the wrongs of the World. The method of which you have chosen to do so is wrong, but your intentions were clear. What you have done.. is only making more people suffer. Making more people go through what you had gone through. You have created an infinite cycle of hate yourself."

Then Yuri did an unexpected thing. She reached down... and hugged Yuki. Of all the things that Yuki did, fighting constantly, having to place her life at the front, trying to wage a war against the unknown, wanting to change the fate... willing to destroy the World. Of all these things that she did... she was never held like this before. This feeling... was... familiar. This scent, this warmth, this embrace.

"You are a sad child... a child who has been blinded by grief and hate. A child who had given up on love. Who had given up on hope. A child who lived for revenge. But... you are still a child inside... a child who wants to be loved."

Yuki thought she had everything. She had the power, she had the resources, she had the will to change everything. But nothing did. Why was it? Why was it that nothing went her way? Beneath the cold armour, she felt alone, afraid of everything around her. A mere child, lost in the darkness, swept up by the madness of the World. Bred and raised in hate... but yearning for the warmth of the one who could comfort her. She could remember it now... the small house she stayed in. The smell of breakfast wafting through the kitchen. The soft smile of the person who always stood by her side, encouraging her to go on. It was a scene so familiar, so nostalgic and warm... just how did she forget it?

Where did it all go wrong? Why did she have to forsake these happy memories? There were good things in her life. There were good people. People who cared, who showed love... people who loved her for who she was. No prejudice, no sarcasm... her family. Tears... warm tears that flowed from her eyes. The pain subsiding. It was all over. The darkness. The madness. The despair. None of those mattered. None of that would ever reach her again. It was all... over.

"... Ma... ma..."

.

.

.

Yuri stood back up, looking up at the bright light in the 'sky'. Standing alone in the giant crater, she had to wonder if this was how it was meant to be. She looked down at the sword that she stabbed in the ground. The last memento of that girl.

"... Dominion..."

The moment Yuri touched it, the sword started to disintegrate away, becoming dust that were swept away by an unfelt wind.

"... The pride of man... will never fade... but it is what we take pride in that matters... if we blind ourselves and fight over it... humans are destined to destroy ourselves. Destined to fail to progress any further... everyone must forgive... forget... and move on, no matter how hard it is to do so, lest we be consumed by grief and hate and lose sight of everything."

Yuri muttered, clenching her fist. But then she sighed.

"But that will probably never change... Humans will be humans after all. But still... 'Ma ma', huh? Don't recall having such a big child...Still... Has a strange feeling to that... doesn't sound that bad."


	54. Chapter 54

A/N: So some of you have been wondering about the Guardians? Well, here you go.

I'm still sorting through the final chapters and so far... I have no idea what the hell I'm writing. I think I'll have to rewrite the last few chapters from scratch again. It's too... weird.

EDIT: I've added some borders to make it easier to differentiate the different parts of the fight.

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 54_

_SSS VS Guardians_

"That's another one."

Katsuragi Rei commented as the tower shook violently while the group continued on upwards. Time was not on their side and so they had to continue onwards, leaving behind those who chose to stay behind to slowly down the program, facing off against the Division leaders by themselves. Rei could only pray that they were safe. Pray? Since when was he eligible to pray for anyone? He, being an abomination in the eyes of the religious. But he had no time for his determination to waver. He had to ensure that he ended the program once and for all.

"Worried about the rest?"

He turned and saw someone did not really expect to speak to him again suddenly following closely behind.

"Yamato."

Kusanagi Yamato was silent through most of the floors and Rei did not know whether the young leader of the SSS2 Army was still angry at him.

"I-it's not as if I am angry at you or anything."

Yamato added, her face turning rather red.

"Tsundere."

Rei could hear Kyou mutter. Yamato, however, did not hear it.

"You've been silent all this while."

Rei pointed out, making Yamato lower her head.

"I... I was confused."

She admitted. Rei knew that she had every right to be. After all, all the things they did together, all the conversations they shared... they were all lies.

"... I'm sorry."

Katsuragi blurted out.

"What are you sorry for?"

Yamato asked.

"... For everything."

"..."

Yamato bit her lip, slightly pained in her chest.

"... Don't say that."

"Huh?"

Rei turned and saw... tears?

"Don't say that you're 'sorry'... It would only make it seem like all this while... The time we spent together... the days we shared... that all of that... everything was a lie."

To Rei, that was exactly it. To him, it felt like he had betrayed them. Betrayed their feelings. Betrayed them all. But seeing Yamato... seeing her tears, there was a stab in his chest.

"Yamato... But I am-"

"It does not matter if you aren't human... or that you were created by someone."

Yamato cut him off. Her head still hung low as tears streaked down her cheeks. She did not want him to see her like this.

"The time we spent together... those requests we took together... Those... words you said to me... Those times were spent with Katsuragi of the Wolves... Those were not said by anyone other than Katsuragi of the SSS2... You are... who you are... Aren't you the same Katsuragi who helped me through my pain? ... Aren't you the same Katsuragi who pulled me out of despair?"

Rei did not know how to reply her. He was not sure about the answer himself. Was he really the same person as before? He did not know.

"No matter what you may be... no matter who you have become... you'll always be Katsuragi... the Katsuragi I know... The Katsuragi that I fell in-..."

Yamato stopped in mid-sentence. She had stopped herself for some reason. Rei did not know how to respond, until Kyou nudged him in the back.

"Sometimes... A girl just needs to hear the truth. Even if she knows she cannot obtain what her heart most desires."

"..."

Rei did not know if what Kyou said was correct but he guessed he had to say something, otherwise Yamato would have no closure for herself.

"Yamato... I cannot say that I am really the same person who fought by your side for the past year or two... I cannot say that I am the same person whom you had placed your trust on, for I myself am unsure of what I am... But there is one thing I am certain of, and that is I have never... nor will I ever betray you."

Yamato looked up in surprise at his words, her face bright red though her tears had made a mess of her face.

"Ka... tsuragi..."

"Doesn't his words remind you of somebody?"

Kyou asked her friend, Tomoyo, who merely sighed.

"The typical phrase of all male protagonist in games."

"Are you suggesting that 'that guy' was a protagonist in a game?"

"He might as well be."

Tomoyo muttered before she noticed something up ahead.

"... Looks like we've reached the next area."

Tomoyo said and indeed the group did reach the next area, however unlike the previous instances, this place had no large imposing door. Only a wide platform much like Taeno Yuki's hall of Pride. This was not a separate space like the previous halls of the Division leaders, but rather a 'floor'. At the far end of this platform were the stairs leading higher up and the group would have to cross the platform in order to progress further.

If not for the nineteen cloaked figures who stood between them and those stairs. Those nineteen figures who exuded a terrifying presence despite simply standing there. Everyone could not see who they were but somewhere in their minds they knew who they were. Those nineteen were the most dangerous people in the organisation. They were the reapers, they were death incarnate. Their lives were pointless before killing the enemy. They were berserker who would do anything to destroy those who stood in their way. The most powerful fighters of the SSS2, they live only by their creed, 'to kill them all'. They are-

"... The sixth Division... the Guardians."

* * *

As the group approached the nineteen cloaked figures, one of the cloaked figures stepped forward. Pulling the hood back, revealing Amatsu Len, the Guardian's second in command.

"So you have come, enemy of our leaders."

Len said, staring hard at Rei in particular. Another one of the cloaked figures stepped forward.

"We know why you have come."

Rei knew that voice. Pulling back the hood, Takamachi Yukari faced them with a smile.

"Yukari-sama!"

Testarossa almost went teary eyed at seeing the strong arm of the Guardians.

"Oh! If it isn't Testarossa! Good to see you're still alive and kicking!"

"Of course! If it meant seeing Yukari-sama once more I will survive through anything!"

"Ha ha ha! Very good! But back to the matter at hand."

Yukari turned to the Rei.

"Katsuragi Rei. Our leader, Kurogane Kou, is waiting for you beyond those stairs."

Yukari pointed to the stairs behind her.

"Takamachi!"

Len wanted to complain but Yukari raised her hand and silenced the second in command.

"It is what our leader wants, Amatsu. You know it yourself."

"..."

Len could not refute that and she stubbornly stepped to one side.

"Kurogane Kou... said that?"

Rei was confused by this. Why did she allow it? He was her hated enemy, why would she instruct her Guardians to let him go?

"... Let's go then."

Rei walked forward and sure enough, the nineteen Guardians simply stood there as he walked past. However, the same could not be said for the others as the nineteen Guardians closed the gap and stood between Rei and the rest of the group.

"What is the meaning of this?"

Kyou demanded.

"We will only let the one called Katsuragi Rei pass. The others will have to face us."

Yukari pulled out her giant cleaver of a sword and slammed it into the ground.

"We are the Guardians of the Sixth Division. We have our pride and our duty to our leader."

Rei wanted to help them but Yamato brought out her large cannon and slammed it in the ground, the same manner in which Yukari had done so.

"Katsuragi... you have to go on without us... We will handle this."

Rei wanted to argue back but he saw in Yamato a fire in her eyes. Those eyes that told him all he needed to know. He clenched his fist, angry at not being able to do anything more. It was true, what Yamato had said, and he must continue on his own.

"... I will see you soon."

Rei said, before turning around and heading towards the stairs. Yamato could only see Katsuragi walk off, knowing that this would probably be the last time she would see him. But it was fine like this. She had decided long ago that it was fine for things to be like this.

"... Are you sure about this?"

Amatsu Len asked Yamato.

"You love him, don't you? So why did you let him go?"

Yamato knew the answer, and no matter how much the truth hurts, she knew that it was for the best.

"... It is because I love him... that I can let him go. I cannot be blinded by my own selfishness to know that he's heart belongs to another... His place is not with me."

Yamato answered Len firmly. The second in command of the Guardians closed her eyes for a while.

"... You may be right. But we shall see whose answer is stronger. Yours... or mine."

[Boss Fight]

[SSS2 Sixth Division, Guardians]

[Vice Commander]

[Amatsu Len]

[Level: 150]

[Weapons: Crescent Blades of the Moon x2]

VERSUS

[SSS2 Army]

[Frontline Commander]

[Kusanagi Yamato]

[Level: 120]

[Weapons: Getsuga-Tenga]

* * *

"Oho? They're really going at it."

Yukari smirked, before turning to Testarossa Iris, who stood before her in silence.

"So what are you going to do now, Iris-chan?"

The 'ice queen' of the Intelligence division kept silent. She knew that it would come to this. She knew it when they first started to fight the Division leaders. She knew she had to face Takamachi Yukari. For the sake of all of those who trusted her. For the sake of all of the Intelligence Division members who were fighting outside the Tower. She had to win this... no matter what. But...

"Oi oi, Testarossa, don't tell me you've gotten cold feet already?"

Fujibayashi Kyou smirked as she stepped up next to Iris, taking out a large book and confronting Yukari.

"Fujibayashi..."

"You're not alone, Testarossa. In times of trouble, it is always better to have people by your side."

Iris wanted to say something sarcastic back to Kyou but she stopped herself. It wasn't the best of time to poke fun at Kyou, no matter how badly she wanted to.

"... Don't hold me back."

Iris merely stated, pulling out her twin swords.

"Since when did I ever?"

[Boss Fight]

[SSS2 Sixth Division, Guardians]

[Steel Arm]

[Takamachi Yukari]

[Level: 150]

[Weapons: Raging Heart]

VERSUS

[SSS2 Army]

[Overall Commander]

[Fujibayashi Kyou]

[Level: 110]

[Weapons: Books]

[SSS2 Army]

[Intelligence Officer]

[Testarossa Iris]

[Level: 110]

[Weapons: Twin shinobi katana]

* * *

"I honestly did not think we would have to fight."

The young boy smiled, pulling back his hood as he stepped forward. Sakagami Tomoyo did not need to see his face to know who it was she had to confront. After all, wasn't it always like that?

"... Kisaragi... Setsuna."

Tomoyo always had a feeling that she would end up fighting him. Among all of those she had trained, Kisaragi Setsuna was the one whom she shared a special connection to. The feeling was not romantic, but rather, a strange sense of... fate. Tomoyo never liked using that word. She had always believe in forging her own path and changing what she believed she could change. However it all came to naught as tragedy befall her... choices she made in life had cost her the life of her loved one. Kisaragi Setsuna strongly reminded her of the choices she had made in the past.

"I had always known that we will face one another sooner or later."

Tomoyo admitted, raising her fists.

"You're using those weapons."

Setsuna pointed out to the rail-gauntlets on Tomoyo's arms and Tomoyo smiled.

"It is certainly a good pair of weapons... and it will certainly carry me to my own... fate."

Those words which she despised. Those words which she could not stand. Setsuna smiled knowingly, pulling out his own weapon.

"Then come, senpai. Come and test your fate against mine."

[Boss Fight]

[SSS2 Sixth Division, Guardians]

[Ice Storm]

[Kisaragi Setsuna]

[Level: 150]

[Weapons: Yukianesea]

VERSUS

[SSS2 Army]

[Special Assault Officer]

[Sakagami Tomoyo]

[Level: 110]

[Weapons: Rail Gauntlets]

* * *

Not all who faced their opponents were on such good terms, however, as the two swordswomen faced against one another. They were similar, yet different.

"So my time has come."

Ryougi Mana muttered, drawing her sword against the one who stood before her. The Silent Blade, Sakamoto Shiki.

"... I do not know you... yet you are... familiar."

Shiki said, narrowing her eyes at the young Ryougi.

"I am Ryougi Mana... your daughter."

Mana said. All those in earshot stopped what they were doing and stared at the two swordswomen. What an extreme turn of events. Daughter?

"... I have no daughter."

Shiki stated flatly. Mana smiled at that answer.

"Of course not. I'm not 'your' daughter... Rather I am the daughter of who you 'could have been'."

"... I see. From a parallel World."

Shiki understood what this all means. In another 'World', she had a happy life. She had a family of her own. She had a child.

"... So... such an outcome was possible."

"Yes. In my World, you were the successor to the Ryougi clan. You were the strongest person I had ever known."

"... In my life... The Ryougi clan was destroyed... I was raised by a distant relative and took their name as my own... but I knew that my life would not be easy. With the fall of the Ryougi clan, the demons that came were unstoppable... No matter how many I cut down... more came to replace them... Perhaps.. if the Ryougi did not fall that day-"

"Under the Ryougi clan, you had suffered as well."

Mana said, cutting off Shiki.

"But in that life I lived... I had lived and I had loved... In that life, I had you."

Shiki looked straight at Mana. No one but Ryougi Mana could tell that Shiki was smiling. It was something that Mana grew up knowing about. She had constantly chased her mother, constantly wanting to face her mother head on. As such she knew her mother well. This Shiki may not be her mother, for her mother had a loving family, had gone through life with people to support her and stood tall, but this Shiki was indeed... Shiki.

"Why have you come here?"

Shiki asked.

"To defeat the 'strongest' person I have ever known. My mother in her prime."

Mana answered honestly. This Shiki is not the same Shiki whom Mana had known all her life. No, this Shiki was different. Facing hardships since young, this Shiki had fought more battles and faced death on all fronts. There was no better opponent for Mana. Shiki nodded in understanding and drew her blade.

"... Then come and face the 'strongest', 'daughter' of mine."

"I will show you what I have become, 'mother' of mine."

[Boss Fight]

[SSS2 Sixth Division, Guardians]

[Silent Blade]

[Sakamoto Shiki]

[Level: 150]

[Weapons: Kuji Kanesada (Rei) ]

VERSUS

[SSS2 Army]

[Assault Officer]

[Ryougi Mana]

[Level: 110]

[Weapons: Akasha no Tsurugi]

* * *

[SSS] VS [Sixth Division Guardians]

[Ooyama] VS [Asakura Shion]

[SSS Sniper] [Eagle Eye]

[Male] [Female]

[110] [150]

[Accuracy International AS50] [Anti Material Rifle Custom, 'Angelos']

.

.

.

[Fujimaki] VS [Kasumi]

[SSS Fighter] [Leaf Blade]

[Male] [Female]

[110] [150]

[Shirasaya Katana] [Quivers of Swords, 'Blade Forest']

.

.

.

[Saitou] VS [Takatsugi Shou]

[SSS Fisher] [White String]

[Male] [Male]

[110] [150]

[Fishing line] [Piano wires, 'Arachnid']

.

.

.

[Takamatsu] VS [Hanakawa Maho]

[SSS Flasher] [Lightning Cannon]

[Male] [Female]

[110] [150]

[Muscles] [Bladed Piston-driven Tonfas, 'Raiten']

.

.

.

[Yusa] VS [Minami Shino]

[SSS Operator] [SSS2 Sixth Division Guardians Strategist, Puppet Master]

[Female] [Female]

[110] [150]

[Earpiece] [Blades with strings]

.

.

.

[Shiina] VS [Yoh]

[SSS Ninja] [Black Hawk]

[Female] [Female]

[110] [150]

[Kodachi] [Bladed Bow, 'Hayabusa']

.

.

.

[Yui] VS [Ayase]

[SSS second lead Guitarist] [Unbreakable]

[Female] [Female]

[110] [150]

[Guitar] [Giant pad lock, 'Key]

.

.

.

[Naoi Ayato] VS [Okita Arata]

[SSS self-proclaim God] [Wordsworth]

[Male] [Female]

[110] [150]

[Hypnotism] [Kotodama (Power of Words) ]

.

.

.

[Saya] VS [Saotome Hajime]

[SSS2 Rebels, Rei's guard] [Saint's Will]

[Female] [Male]

[110] [150]

[Graveyard] [Bladed Shield, 'Jericho']

.

.

.

[Iwasawa Masami] VS [Todoroki Masaharu]

[SSS lead Guitarist] [SSS2 lead Guitarist]

[Female] [Male]

[110] [150]

[Guitar] [Gatling Guitar]

.

.

.

[Matsushita] VS [Shinozaki Ryoutaro]

[SSS 5-dan fighter] [Gauntlet]

[Male] [Male]

[110] [150]

[Fists] [Rocket Hammer]

.

.

.

[Hinata Hideki] VS [Ryouhei]

[SSS Co-founder] [Thunder]

[Male] [Male]

[110] [150]

[Baseball Bat] [Baseball Bat EX, 'Homerun']

.

.

.

[Hisako] VS [Kurogami Homura]

[SSS Guitarist] [Hell Storm]

[Female] [Female]

[110] [150]

[Guitar] [Bullets]

.

.

.

[Noda] VS [Yukimura Kyouko]

[SSS Fighter] [Odin]

[Male] [Female]

[110] [150]

[Halberd] [Spear Rifle, 'Gungnir']

.

.

.

[TK] VS [Shimazu Haruto]

[SSS breakdancer] [Orchestra]

[Male] [Male]

[110] [150]

[Twin pistols] [Cello Cannon, 'Canon in D']

* * *

He had known about it for something, but to see it first hand was something else altogether. Kamiya Yuzuru stood back and watched as his petite size girlfriend jumped straight into the group of Shadows that blocked their path and decimate them with one attack that seemed to have the impact of a bomb. Seriously, was there a reason why he had to come along in the first place? Kanade was way too strong!

"Yuzuru?"

He looked up and saw Kanade look at him with a slightly puzzled look. She must be wondering about why he was spacing out.

"It's nothing. Still, you're strong as ever, Kanade."

"..."

An instant change occurred and Kanade ended up squatting at one side, drawing circles in the floor with her finger. What Yuzuru did was hit a very vital spot. While Kanade was not usually phased by such a comment, she did get reincarnated and through her normal life, she became more sensitive to such things.

"Kanade? !"

After a moment of trying to calm the most powerful Angel around, Yuzuru and Kanade continued on.

"I was referring to your connection to the Program."

Yuzuru explained his previous sentence.

"It seems that my account has not been deleted."

Kanade answered as they continued down the spiralling stairs. Unlike the other group, Yuzuru and Kanade were heading down, below the depths of the tower. There was a strong reason behind the two of them heading down rather than up, and it was the fact that one of the machines to be used in shutting down the Program was located at the bottom. Still, Yuzuru had to wonder about the entire thing since they have yet to meet a single Angel, much less a Division leader.

"So that must mean that the Division leaders of the SSS2 are all upstairs."

Yuzuru concluded the obvious.

"Do you think they can manage?"

Kanade asked.

"They will face difficulties... but I believe they can win. As long as they don't split up or anything."

But that was exactly what had happened to the group above. However since they won, it did not matter anyway.

"Hmm? Looks like we have reached."

Yuzuru noted as they reached the bottom of the spiral stairs. Unlike the stairs that lead upward, which seem to float on air, the stairs that lead downwards seem to lead into a tunnel, and the end of the tunnel was a plan metal door.

"... Somehow I feel disappointed."

Yuzuru admitted, crossing his arms as he inspected the door. It was certainly not a door that was similar to the ones above, simply being just a metal door.

"Yuzuru?"

Kanade looked to him. Was she that eager to rush into battle?

"... Let's go."

Yuzuru walked ahead and pushed the door open, stepping into what seemed to be a large crater-like room. A giant machine seemed to tower in the centre, going from the floor straight up into the ceiling. That must be the machine to shut down. But as Yuzuru was thinking, Kanade seemed to sense something amiss as she suddenly raised her hands in a defensive position.

"Guard Skill: Hand Sonic."

Blades appeared on her arms and Kanade suddenly went in full aggressive stance.

"Kanade?"

Yuzuru wanted to ask what was wrong but before he could, he felt a sudden and intense pressure appear in the large room. A feeling so intense that Yuzuru did not know how to respond. He felt like his chest was being pressed. That was when Yuzuru realised that there was someone standing before the giant machine. A lone girl who simply stood there quietly. When did she appear? Why didn't he notice her before? But the most important question for Yuzuru was...

"... Kanade?"

The girl who stood before the machine was Kanade. Or at least she looked exactly like Kanade. But Kanade was next to him, so who is she?

"You seem surprised. How rare."

A new voice echoed throughout the room. Stepping out from behind the machine was-

"Otonashi."

Otonashi Yuzuru smiled to him.

"Yo."

* * *

"Explain. Now."

Kamiya Yuzuru demanded to his 'other' half, Otonashi Yuzuru. To anyone else, it was an odd scene to witness. Four people who look like one another are all facing off each other in some sort of duel that might inevitably lead to the death of one pair. Kamiya Yuzuru and Tachibana Kanade, facing off against Otonashi Yuzuru and a girl who looks exactly like Kanade, but wearing the uniform of the NPCs. Otonashi Yuzuru, the 'half' that stayed behind merely smiled as he stepped forward.

"No need to be so hasty. Besides, what's wrong with having more than one Kanade-chan?"

"There's nothing wrong with having more than one-"

Yuzuru immediately replied without missing a beat but stopped talking half-way as he felt a rather strong impulse of anger flaring from his girlfriend. Otonashi merely laughed at the strange sight.

"Ha ha! As expected of my 'half'. You can say such things without any hint of hesitation. Well, let me explain to you, did you really think that I would not have any feelings for Kanade once you left? I am 'Otonashi Yuzuru' as well, thus my feelings for Kanade will not disappear."

Otonashi explained as he walked around the still silent 'Kanade'.

"As I probed further into the Program, I discovered a strange 'black box' of sorts hidden the Program's database. It had seemed that the Program had kept a 'copy' of its users. Anyone who had access to the Program would have their entire being downloaded and copied and stored in the Program's database."

"And so you brought out another 'Kanade'."

"'Bringing out' is not such a correct term, as the data within the Program cannot imitate the real person. It is, essentially, mere data. What I did instead of use... 'Harmonics'."

"You did what? !"

'Harmonics' was a sub Program used by Kanade back during the days of the SSS to herself. However it was not as simple as 'cloning' as each individual 'clone' had their own personality, their own thoughts and shared the same power and abilities as Kanade herself. Through much hardship, the SSS managed to revert the Program and the clones had disappeared.

"Or so we had all thought. You see, like all computer programming, you cannot simply 'delete' something. A computer does not 'delete' anything, but merely 'marks' it for deletion until something else is brought up to take over its allocated space. But even so there will be fragments left behind. The same can be said for the 'Harmonics' Program. Although all of the 'clones' were supposedly absorbed back into Kanade, there was enough residual 'essence' to recreate another Kanade. Putting together with the database from the Program, I have essentially 'made' myself a 'Kanade'. Let me introduce you all... her name, is Amagami Futayo."

Amagami Futayo, one of the three NPCs that Otonashi had created, one of the two that went berserk. That is Amagami Futayo.

"Well then, shall we get down to it then?"

Ototnashi asked, straightening his tie.

"Get down to what?"

"To fighting. While I do not want the Apocalypse to start, I do have a slight attachment to Futayo. She is, after all, Kanade's replacement for me."

"You... you planned this from the beginning, didn't you?"

Otonashi smirked at that question.

"Who knows?"

[Boss Fight]

[Student Council President/ The Lost Half of Salvation]

[Otonashi Yuzuru]

[Level 500]

VERSUS

[Unifier of the SSS/ The Guiding Half of Hope]

[Kamiya Yuzuru]

[Level 150]

.

.

.

[Boss Fight]

[Remnants of a Lost Love]

[Amagami Futayo]

[Level 300]

VERSUS

[Reincarnated Angel]

[Tachibana Kanade]

[Level 300]

* * *

A/N: DUN DUN DUN... cliff hanger? I can almost hear of your curse swears at me again. The line up for the fights are basically what I think should be appropriate. For now, I will NOT be writing out the battles of the SSS and the Guardians in full. If anyone wants to know the outcomes, I'll put them up by the last chapter. For those who want to know the fight itself... well, tell me which one and I'll probably put it in the side stories. If I ever finish those anyway.


	55. Chapter 55

A/N: Come to think of it... this entire last battle fight was the reason why I started to write this damn fan-fic in the first place... It's all coming back one full circle... and who in their right mind would start writing a fan fic right after only imagining the ending? ! ... Wait, that's me... It's not the final chapter yet... but close enough. I'd say another three more should finish it up. It's going to be 4 long years since I started this series... 4 long years... what... the... hell... I should have finished it two years ago.

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 55_

_Fallen Angels_

The stairs that he took up were unlike the stairs the group had taken before. Starting from the base, the stairs would spiral upwards continuously These were straight. But the tower was a spiral for a reason. A spiral that went through the different levels of SIN, bringing them through each and every Division leader. The pain and suffering of each leader differed, each representing the darkness within themselves and the despair of the lives they had lived. Everyone had a darkness within them and the amount of darkness affected the amount of power they held while at the same time driving them closer to insanity. This World was meant to be a place for humans to release their pain and regrets, so as to allow themselves to be reincarnated into the next life free from the darkness that bound them in the previous life.

But darkness is not something that would simply disappear. It had to go somewhere and this World was the gathering place of such darkness. While its origins were pure, the limitations of what this World could do were clear. A World meant to hold in the darkness of humans could not last long as the darkness within humans is both immense and unstoppable. Coupled with the Program that uses the darkness to give power to those who use it, this World has become tainted to the core. But Otonashi seems to have a plan. Katsuragi Rei did not know what exact plan his creator had and he was not all too sure if he could trust his own creator, but he had no choice. Whatever the effects of what he was about to do may be, he had to stop the Apocalypse program at all cost. Now, as he walked up these straight stairs, he had to wonder if everything would be all right.

He was to face Kurogane Kou, and the other NPCs that Otonashi had created. Judging by how such developments would occur, Rei had to guess that only one of the two berserk NPCs would be waiting for him. Wasn't that usually the case? But facing either one of them was no easy task. He had one trump card but if possible he did not want to use it. He was also worried about the others. Could the SSS really fight against the Guardians? Though it was reckless of him to leave the fighting of Taeno Yuki to Nakamura Yuri alone, what Yuri had told him was also a factor in his decision.

* * *

_Few hours back, before Pride_

"Do you think it is wise to simply leave them?"

Rei had asked as they climbed up the stairs.

"As in?"

Yuri asked.

"The Division leaders are extremely strong. How can they think that they can face such darkness on their own?"

"... Everyone has a darkness, Katsuragi Rei, everyone has one within them."

Yuri answered, her voice strained.

"But they cannot hope to match against such-"

"Do not think that the suffering of one person is any greater than that of any other."

Yuri cut him off.

"... It is true that the darkness of these 'Division leaders' are great... but it is not an impossible task to overcome. My SSS have suffered regrets and despairs in their lives, yet we have all managed to overcome such pains. Do not say that they have no hope to defeat such things when they already have the determination to do so from the beginning."

* * *

_Present_

"'The suffering of one person is not any greater than that of any other'... huh. Didn't know she could be so philosophical."

Rei muttered to himself as he reached the top of the stairs. At the top of the stairs stood one of the doors of 'SIN'. But unlike the previous doors, this was was... stagnant. The other doors all gave off a sense of dread, a feeling that would reach out and entice, consume you if you were not careful. Each door would 'corrupt' those who stood before it to become like the SIN it was. But this door was not. It was certainly similar to the previous doors in size and the designs were rather... horrific, to say the least. Carvings of people dying in the midst of a raging battlefield was not something you would simply walk by and ignore, not to mention the giant skull of seemed to be a-

"Dragon...?"

With its size nearly as large as the door itself, it towered above the doorway, the teeth hanging dangerously above him as he walked closer to the door. But still, for a door of 'SIN' to be inactive, what could that mean? Somehow, Rei only had bad premonitions about what lay behind this door. But without stepping through, he would never know. He had come all this way to stop the end of all life and all Worlds. What good would it do if he simply stood there because of some fear? He took a deep breath and-

**SLAP**

To most people, slapping themselves was a show of masochism and they would frown upon such actions. However it can also be done as a show of renewed determination, or simply just trying to slap oneself out of whatever stupor they were in. In Rei's case, he was trying for all.

"... I feel like someone just insulted me."

Gathering up his courage, Rei plated his hands firmly on the door. And pushed. The giant doors easily sung open without much effort and all Rei could see on the inside was darkness. The darkness was still, silent... and dead. He could not feel anything from within, no signs of life. He was slightly on edge, uncertain and... afraid. But he stepped into the darkness. He should not fear what the darkness holds, nor what the darkness is, but rather what the darkness could do to him. What the darkness represents and how it affects his mind. He continued to walk through the darkness, not able to see anything before him. As he continued on, he felt his uncertainty grow. The darkness was affecting him.

_'Do you think you are special?'_

A dark voice slithered into his mind. He knew it was the darkness that simply talked straight in his mind.

_'What you do will not matter.'_

"..."

_'You cannot save anyone'_

"..."

_'Do not waste your futile efforts.'_

"..."

_'The darkness always win.'_

"Not today."

_[Katsuragi Rei activated Blue Gear]_

With one swing of his sword, the darkness cleared away like a cloud being swept aside by the wind. With the darkness gone, Katsuragi found himself standing in what seemed to be the inside an enormous dome structure. The entire place was empty, save for one simple desk in the centre with a computer being set up on it... and one person standing there. The young man who stood there had dark hair and dark blue eyes, a characteristic that Katsuragi found extremely familiar. He remembered who this person is, and who this person is based off. After all, they were-

"Nii-san."

The young man who stood there smiled.

"... Amatsukai Ichigo."

Amatsukai Ichigo, one of the two mad NPCs of Otonashi. His base model was taken off a certain AI data hidden within the Program. If Rei could remember it correctly, the base model was the same AI whom Nakamura Yuri had confronted before she had forcefully shut the Angel Program down through her use of guns. Amagami Futayo was based off Tachibana Kanade and Rei did not say anything about his creator's weird fetish to play with 'dolls'. As for Rei himself?

"That's right... Nii-san. I believe this is the first time we have actually met face to face, and not simply relying on the program to relay information."

Rei did not remember whether he had accessed such a relay information network before but he did not say anything.

"My appearance is indeed based off the 'AI' of the 'Programmer'. While I am perplexed as to the reasons why I was given this appearance, I find myself more intrigued... by your own appearance."

"My own?"

"Yes, nii-san, yours. You do not have the appearance of any known NPC or human listed in the database of the program. Why are you so special? What makes you different from me and Futayo? Why does 'father' dote upon you so? Above me, the copy of an AI of the 'original programmer', or even Futayo, the copy of 'father's' lost love? I had to find out why. I had to know and make 'father' recognise me. And so... I found my answer."

There was something the way Ichigo was talking. A certain manner in which Rei did not like. He knew that Ichigo was driven mad by the darkness of the program and the World, but this feeling was more than that. This was...

"SIN?"

Rei did not believe this. A mere NPC could take on SIN? Rei knew that NPCs could not handle the darkness of SIN, even if they were berserk. The weight of such raw power and madness would destroy any Angel the moment they came into contact with it. Ichigo smiled at Rei's reaction.

"Yes, nii-san... I took the apple of Eden. You may believe that we, simply mindless dolls, are unable to handle the power of SIN, but you are wrong! 'Father' is wrong! I will carry out the power of SIN and change this World!"

Ichigo laughed hysterically.

"Change the World?! Do you know what will happen when you do that?!"

Rei demanded.

"Of course! The World is corrupted! It is a vile and disgusting place! I have always wondered why didn't anyone do anything about it? Why didn't this, so-called 'God', not do anything and leave the World to humans who would only fight amongst themselves over petty squabbles and destroy it? Then I realised... it is because there is no 'God'! There is only 'power'! And that 'power' has chosen me! Not 'father', not 'you', ME! 'Father' must have known of this and therefore he knew that he could rely on me to rise to power on my own! He knew that I possessed the will and determination to carry on his will! And I shall do so! With this power, I will destroy this World and create a new one in my image! There, I will be the God of the new World!"

Ichigo proclaimed loudly. If this wasn't a sign of madness then Rei did not know what was. God of the new World? What sort of death book did he find?

"WITH THIS DEATH BOOK I WILL RULE!"

He really has a book? ! But isn't that just a normal biology textbook?

"You're mad!"

Rei shouted, drawing his sword.

"I may be so, nii-san, but what can you do about it? I am SIN! I have the power! Even those pesky 'Division Leaders' are unable to stand before my might! Behold!"

Ichigo snapped his fingers and a tear in the fabric of space appeared, giving way to a large object that came out, floating in mid-air. It was a giant cross, wrapped by barbed wires and bloodied vines, and tied to it, not responding to anything, bleeding from cuts and wounds all over, was-

"No... Kurogane... Kou..."

* * *

Kurogane Kou, the leader of the sixth Division, the strongest fighter of the entire SSS2, was tied to a cross, bleeding from wounds that lined her entire body, her uniform torn, shredded and in tatters. She was not responding to anything that was happening, seemingly unconscious... or dead. But... how could this be? Kurogane Kou was the strongest fighter ever. She would not lose to anyone, so how could she lose to Amatsukai Ichigo? A mere NPC who gained the power of SIN?

"Do you not see, nii-san? I am stronger than those humans so-called 'strongest'! This is proof of my worth! Of my right to rule!"

Ichigo laughed, but Rei was not listening to all of that. He could not take his eyes off Kou. He had vowed to protect her. He had vowed that he would do all he had to save her from the darkness.

**THUMP**

A loud beat resounded from his chest.

**THUMP**

His mind was going blank.

**THUMP**

The sight of Kou's blood.

**THUMP**

Something was wrong.

**THUMP**

This was wrong.

**THUMP**

"You... will die."

[Boss Fight]

[Corrupted Angel]

[Amatsukai Ichigo]

[Alignment: Lawful Evil]

[Type: Angel]

[Level: 500

HP: 500000000000

MP: 500000000000

Strength: SSS

Agility: SSS

Endurance: SSS

Luck: SSS]

[Weapons List:

- Sovereignty (Rank SSS)

- Dominion (Rank SS)

- Mark of the Emperor (Rank S)]

VERSUS

[Angel Rebels]

[Katsuragi Rei]

[Alignment: Lawful Good]

[Level: 500

HP: 10000000000

MP: 20000000000

Strength: S

Agility: SS

Endurance: A

Luck: A]

[Weapons List:

- Blue Gear (Rank SSS)]

Without pause, Rei charged straight at Ichigo and swung his blade at his own brother. But Ichigo merely dodged it, his movements so fast it were a blur.

"You dare to challenge me, nii-san? Ah, that's right, you're angry. You were always so fond of this human. Such a frail being."

"SILENCE!"

Rei snapped as he swung at Ichigo again and again but the powered up NPC simply dodged all the attacks easily and effortlessly.

"Ha ha ha! Nii-san! If you keep swinging wildly like that, you will never hit anything! But with my powers, you will never be able to hit me even if you really tried!"

Ichigo jumped back and ended up hovering next to the giant cross.

"Really now, nii-san, you should be tiring yourself out so soon, after all... the show has only just begun."

Ichigo took a lock of Kou's hair and brought it to his face, smelling it as he let the strands fall back one by one.

"The smell... of death... and suffering. How it soothes the mind."

_[Katsuragi Rei uses Blue Gear]_

_[Raijin mode]_

Rei suddenly appeared right before Ichigo from nowhere and before Ichigo could react, Rei swung his blade so fast that it seemed like his entire arm had disappeared. It had seemed as though nothing had happened, everything was still. Then... Blood. A clean cut across Ichigo's chest appeared and black coloured blood sprayed out like a fountain.

"AAAHHHH!"

Ichigo screamed as he fell back to the ground. Hitting the ground hard, Ichigo struggled to contain the blood. Strings of ones and zeros flew into the wound, closing it and stopping the flow of blood but it was clear that Ichigo was still affected by the attack.

"Y-you! H-how could you land an attack on me? ! I should be faster than you!"

Ichigo demanded as Rei landed lightly on his feet back on the ground. Rei silently took out a pistol magazine from his pocket, unlatching the butt end of the hilt of his sword and flipping it open, slotting the magazine into the hilt itself and closing the lid on the hilt.

"I-it is that sword! A sword that can harm me? ! Impossible!"

"You will not harm another hair off her."

Rei pulled the trigger on his blade. The next thing Ichigo saw, was Rei's blade being so close to his face that he could see his own reflection's sweat. Ichigo managed to jumped back but the blade still managed to cut a line down his face. Rei pulled the trigger again and once more he disappeared and reappeared right before Ichigo, his blade cutting down at Ichigo. No matter how many times Ichigo tried to run away, Rei would disappear and reappear right next to him, his blade moving faster than Ichigo can react. Whatever that blade was, it allowed Rei to fight on stronger terms than Ichigo who was powered up through the darkness of SIN. Rei may have administrative rights and may be Otonashi's 'chosen' creation, but Ichigo, with his enhanced abilities, should be stronger than Rei by a hundred, if not thousand, fold. But now the tables had turned. Rei was pushing Ichigo back.

"I will not allow this!"

Ichigo shouted, releasing a large pulse of dark energy, forcing Rei back. Bleeding from multiple wounds, Amatsukai Ichigo was not able to stand straight but his anger was more than enough to compensate.

"I have the power! I have the will to change all! You and your pathetic human companions are all mere insects to what my power holds!"

_[Amatsukai Ichigo uses SIN]_

_[Apocalypse Program Initiated]_

* * *

The floor suddenly rumbled loudly below their feet, forcing them to lose their footing.

"Wh-what's going on? !"

Hinata demanded.

"The tower... it's activating!"

Kyou shouted. Len looked up with a slightly sad smile.

"So it has begun."

She looked back down to her opponent, Yamato.

"The end is near."

"That may be so, but we aren't done yet."

Yamato countered, making Len smile as she brought up her weapons.

"You're right... We're far from done."

* * *

"Tch, we were too late?"

Nakamura Yuri muttered, looking up the spiral staircase.

"I have to hurry."

She looked forward and continued to run up.

* * *

"What is that?"

His second in command pointed up to the tower. The leader of the SSS (USA) turned to see what his second in command was looking at.

"The tower... it's... it's lighting up!"

This was not good. He grabbed the nearest radio set and shouted into it.

"All forces, pull back! I repeat, pull back!"

The SSS forces started to pull their forces back just as the tower started to emit a dark cloud. Everywhere the dark cloud touched, it disintegrated the ground, turning everything into nothingness.

"This is bad, real bad. Driver! Get us out of here, now!"

He snapped to his driver and the Jeep he was in roared off. As he watched the storm of dark clouds grow larger and larger, he could only think of the team that went inside.

"Did they fail?"

* * *

"Defence Skill: Hand Sonic"

"Defence Skill: Hand Sonic"

The two 'Kanades' clashed with one another, each using the same exact move as the other. It was like seeing someone fight against a mirror, only that the mirror was an actual copy. As they tried to force their blades together, the two Yuzurus' were... not fighting. Simply standing to one side and observing the fight between the two Kanades.

"..."

"..."

The two Kanades knew that the two Yuzurus were watching their fight and not doing anything, but they were still more focused on their own situation. They both jumped backwards.

"Defence Skill: Harmonic"

"Defence Skill: Harmonic"

The entire room became filled with copies of Tachibana Kanade who proceeded to fight one another. As for the two Yuzurus', this was certainly paradise.

" "Ooh?" "

Was the synchronised awe from the two. This reaction caused all of the copies of Tachibana Kanade to stop and turn to the two Yuzurus'.

**" "YUZURU" "**

Came the synchronised symphony of angry shouts. The two Yuzurus' were taken aback by the sudden outburst and turned to one another.

"I guess we have to- ...This is bad... Well, this will have to wait for now. Hand me the shut-down disc. Now."

Otonashi said as he suddenly looked up.

"What is it?"

"... The program has started."

* * *

The dome ceiling suddenly started to crumble away, swallowed up by some dark cloud that appeared above. Soon the entire dome was gone and all was left was that dark cloud that surrounded the top of the tower. Stormy winds and loud thunder roared within the clouds, threatening to blow Rei off his feet.

"This-... this is not good."

Rei muttered, reaching into his pocket to make sure the disc was still with him. The Apocalypse program had been initiated and Rei only had a small window to stop it. But the strong winds had made it impossible for him to move even an inch.

"I... must-"

Before Rei could even try to move, a bolt of lightning came streaking out from the storm clouds, striking him dead on.

_[Katsuragi Rei suffers 1000 damage]_

"Gah!"

Rei was thrown back by the bolt, crashing into the ground like a rag doll tossed aside. He tried to get up, but another bolt shot out.

_[Katsuragi Rei suffers 1000 damage]_

"I know what you're thinking, nii-san, and you will not be able to stop me!"

More lightning bolts shot out from the clouds, striking mercilessly at Rei.

_[Katsuragi Rei suffers 1000 damage]_

_[Katsuragi Rei suffers 1000 damage]_

_[Katsuragi Rei suffers 1000 damage]_

_[Katsuragi Rei suffers 1000 damage]_

Rei suffered bolt after bolt. Attack after attack. He could not move, could not retaliate, could not even think before another bolt would strike at him. Could this be the end? Rei could watch helplessly as Ichigo laughed maniacally.

"How does it feel, nii-san?! To have yourself rendered completely hopeless?! To be completely useless?! The power of the Program is unstoppable! I WILL BE THE GOD OF THE NEW WORLD-"

**STAB**

**.**

**.**

**.**

.

Ichigo stopped talking as he felt something odd. A strange sensation, one that he should not be feeling. Some discomfort in his chest? He looked down.

"... Huh?"

He noticed that protruding out from his chest was a very long and shiny black curved blade, stained and dripping in thick red liquids. Blood? But he should not be bleeding. He was sure he healed all of his wounds.

"... Why... is there... something?"

Ichigo did not understand. What was this? A blade? He was... attacked? From behind?

"You talk too much."

A voice spoke up from behind. That voice. Ichigo knew that voice. That voice that filled him with dread. With fear.

"B-but... how? You're suppose to be-"

"Dead? You can never kill me... I am death... I am chaos... You cannot kill what you cannot reach."

"But I killed you!"

"You never really understood just who you were up against... that failure to realise is your undoing."

"You cannot kill me! I am the new God!"

"My very existence... is to kill Gods."

The sharp edge started to slice upwards without any resistance.

"Y-you! KUROGANE KOU!"

With one slice upwards, the sharp weapon went through the head. The blade was spun around, cutting through the entire body vertically before slicing horizontally. The body of Amatsukai Ichigo stood still for a moment, before it split into four, spray blood everywhere and standing there, under the rain of blood, was the cold look of darkness itself. Holding onto her black scythe that was covered in blood, the reaper of the sixth Division, the leader of the Guardians stood there look at him. Kurogane Kou.

"... Kou..."

"Katsuragi Rei... I have been waiting for you."


	56. Chapter 56

A/N: And so we are reaching the end of this... overly long story... I still have to wonder how did it manage to get this long?

Those who followed this story all this time, well, it's ending soon and finally I can move on to focus on the next story. That... and I'm so lazy to go to work... Next story... Strike witches or Starcraft? Why starcraft? That's really random...

The new Angel Beats! game, titled 'Angel Beats! 1st beat', is scheduled to be released this year. The game is suppose to be in an AVG (adventure) format but it looks more like a visual novel. The official website has some cutscene photos and... IWASAWA! HOLY CRAP!

Anyway, the game system is simply a visual novel style where you choose which character you wish to interact with and the story will flow in that direction. The main character is, obviously, Otonashi. So far confirmed character routes are:

-Yuri

-Kanade

-Yui

-Iwasawa

-Matsushita 5-dan

The game is to feature 19 members of the SSS and will comprise of 6 chapters.

In somewhat related news, Maeda Jun has finally released the third volume of Hibiki no Mahou (Hibiki's magic). For those who know of it, go check it out. For those of you who don't know... well, nevermind then.

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 56_

_Wrath_

Kurogane Kou. The leader of the Guardians. The reaper of the Sixth Division. The strongest fighter in the SSS2. A girl who had given up on everything, who lived and embraced the darkness. She was the darkness. She became a living weapon, solely bent on destroying anything and everything before her. Like an unstoppable torrent, she smashes through everything, be they friend or foe. She had no real emotions, her original being a blank slate. She was the void, consuming all. And now she stood before him, standing over the pieces of the 'most powerful' (self proclaimed) NPC that she cut sliced into pieces. Kurogane Kou suddenly raised her hand, opening up her palm to Katsuragi Rei.

"... You have it, don't you?"

She asked him. He was confused by what she meant at first and then realised what she was referring to. The disc.

"... Hand it over. There isn't enough time."

Rei was unsure of what he had to do but for some reason, he knew he could trust Kou on this. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the small disc, in it was their last hope, their last salvation to prevent the worst case scenario from occurring. And with such hope clinging onto it, Rei tossed it. Kou reached out and grabbed the disc, looking at the small object in her hand.

"... Let's begin."

Kou turned and walked to the computer that still sat in the centre of the whole area. She started up the computer and inserted the disc into its disc drive. Kou crossed her arms and tapped her fingers rather impatiently as the computer slowly started up the shut-down program.

"Kou... Why... why are you helping to end the program?"

Rei asked as he struggled to his feet. Kou turned and eyed him from the corner of her eyes.

"... It is merely to fulfil a promise."

_[Shut down Program detected.]_

_[Would you like to run the shut down program?]_

_[Y]_

_[Shut down initiated]_

_[System shutting down in 5]_

_[4]_

_[3]_

_[2]_

_[1]_

_[Shut down complete]_

The strong winds and the thunder within the dark clouds suddenly stopped and the tremors of the tower ceased as well. The shut down... it really happened? The Apocalypse was really stopped?

"My end of the promise is done... now it is your turn, Katsuragi Rei."

Kou spoke up, making Rei turn to her.

"Promise?"

"Yes... the promise... The one I made 'that' day. The pact that I made with my sworn enemy. The promise I had made with the EX Angel. The promise... with you."

* * *

_Five years ago, EX Day_

To Kurogane Kou, it was just another day. She had little interest in the dealings of the people in the SSS2, nor had she paid them any mind as she walked down the corridor of Fort. Wherever she walked, people parted way for her. It was not only for the fact that her black cloak and two swords were intimidating to all. It was a sign of respect... and fear. Her cold and emotionless state made her the ultimate killing weapon. Her eyes held no life nor determination that anyone else held. She was reaper, she was the God of death incarnate. She is Kurogane Kou.

"Captain, do you really think Taeno-san will allow it?"

Amatsu Len asked, walking beside her. Kou barely answered Len as she continued to walk on. Kou had rarely given much thought to anything as her life only consisted of killing traitors, NPCs, and... herself.

"Oi oi, Amatsu-chan, you should know better than to question Kou for these sorts of things."

Takamachi Yukari said, following behind.

"Takamachi! How many times must I remind you to call her 'Captain'?!"

"Whatever."

Kou did not bother to listen in after that as the two of her own subordinates began to fight amongst themselves. Subordinates. To her they weren't really people she worked with. She was always alone. Had been and will always be. To her, they were simply... people. People who tended to follow wherever she went. It wasn't annoying since she did not really have that understanding of that annoyed emotion. She reached the doors to Yuki's office and the two guards who stood by the door snapped to attention.

Normally they would announce the arrival of whoever was at the door but Kou did not bother and just opened the door and stepped in. Yuki's office, or the Principals office, was in a mess, with paper and files all over the place and it seemed that Yuki was in the middle of a heated argument with Tatsumi Kenji. But Kou did not care about their arguments. She walked up to the desk and threw a file onto the table that was already cluttered with paper. That action alone made both leaders stop and turn to Kou.

"Kou! How many times must I tell you not to interrupt me when I'm in the middle of something? !"

Yuki snapped but Kou did not bother to acknowledge her. Yuki realised that Kou would probably never learn to change her ways, sighing as she sat back down in her chair and leaned back.

"So what is it this time?"

Yuki grabbed the file and looked through it. At this point Tatsumi Kenji simply stood there in silence, knowing better than to anger the reaper of the SSS2 herself. Yuki looked through the file and looked up at Kou.

"Are you serious? You want me to mobilise the ENTIRE SSS2?"

Yuki glared at Kou, but Kou simply remained silent, unflinching at Yuki's outburst.

"Taeno-san, if you read the captain's report-"

"I AM TALKING KOU, LIEUTENANT AMATSU, NOT YOU SO SHUT IT!"

Yuki snapped at Len, who did flinch and stepped back. Yuki then turned back to Kou.

"... Even IF... And I am talking about a BIG IF... what you say is true... that there will be a large outbreak of Angels, I cannot mobilise the ENTIRE Organisation immediately. There are many things we are working on, and the biggest thing we have is the 'Program'. After many years of testing, we're finally able to complete a full access connection with it. Today is the day we're suppose to start the connection process and there are obvious problems we have to deal with. Problems like stubborn logger heads like this Kenji idiot here, and with more than half of the entire Assault on another training camp in the mountains, the most I can mobilise is Fort and Diversion. With luck maybe Shield from Guild since Guild and the Intelligence division are the ones handling the 'Program' testing now. That only accounts for thirty percent of the entire force. Besides, what makes you so sure of this outburst?"

Kou stared silently at Yuki before answering.

"... I am."

BOOM

A sudden explosion from the courtyard outside of Fort raised alarms throughout the entire school.

"Wha-what was that?! What's going on?!"

"They're here."

Kou answered simply.

"Who-"

The door suddenly slammed open as Yuki's guards rushed in with their weapons and went to Yuki's side to form an immediate protective ring.

"Yuki-sama! We're under attack! A large number of Angels have appeared in the courtyard!"

Yuki's eyes widened as the realisation dawned upon her. Kou's report was true. Kou turned and headed towards the door.

"Kou! You..."

"I told you, Yuki... that they will come."

Kou answered as she reached the door.

"But you did not say they would appear now!"

"I did not need to say when."

Was all Kou said before she left the room.

"DAMN YOU KOU! STOP DOING THIS TO ME!"

Yuki's voice screamed from the office and could be clearly heard throughout the levels of the building.

"You sure managed to piss Yuki off again, Kou."

Yukari whistled as the three of them walked calmly through the chaotic corridors of Fort. People were now rushing all over the place, guns were being brought out, soldiers being deployed to the front. As the three reached the main entrance to Fort, they regrouped with more cloaked people who stood around with their weapons. They were all awaiting for her.

"Your weapon... leader."

One of the cloaked people passed to Kou her scythe. Her weapon, her instrument of destruction and revenge. Kou reached out and grabbed her scythe, lifting it up easily before she walked out of the building, accompanied by all of the cloaked fighters. Her fighters. They are the sixth division. They are the Guardians.

"Your orders, reaper."

"... Kill them all."

* * *

The battle was large and fierce. With more than half of the SSS2 forces elsewhere, the remaining SSS2 soldiers had to hold the line, protecting Fort as their main priority. But they were not without hope as taking the battle to the enemy were none other than the sixth Division themselves. The strongest fighters in SSS2, each having the strength of a hundred or a thousand SSS2 soldiers. They charged straight into the enemy with no care for their own lives. The Genocide Protocol. It was something only the Guardians used. The Protocol to forsake ones own life for the complete and utter destruction of the enemy. That was how the Guardians fought, that was how they lived, and that is how they will die.

Cleaving a bloody path one the field, Kurogane Kou stood drenched in the blood of her enemies, a sight that made all of the Angels afraid to go near her. With a simple spin of her weapon, she carved right through two Angels and throwing a few more into the air. Although this event was certainly unexpected to most, Kou did not care. They were all simply things to be cut. Creatures to be killed. It did not even register in her head what she was doing. All she knew was to kill. That was all. But then... she stopped. An intense wave, a powerful force that was undeniable suddenly appeared. Like a great pressure being forced down upon the entire field, be they friend or foe. Kou had never felt anything like this before and it made her chest feel... a beat.

"... Roof."

Without waiting, Kou immediately turned and headed straight for one of the main buildings.

"Captain? ! Wait for-"

Amatsu Len wanted to follow Kou but an Angel suddenly rushed out and clashed with her, preventing her from following.

"Why you- CAPTAIN!"

But Kou did not stop, running straight the first main building and rushing up the stairs all the way to the top, bursting through the door to the rooftop. And there... she saw him. Standing there all by himself, the young man had a hood over his head, covering most of his face. But this feeling... this presence. To Kou, who had thrown away all emotions in order to become a fighting machine, was feeling... fear? What's more, she had a strange sense of nostalgia. But why?

"We meet at last... Guardian."

The young man spoke with a slight hint of glee in his voice.

"..."

Kou stayed silent as she drew her weapon.

"Hmm, so you're all ready to fight then. Not that I should be surprised."

The young man raised his hand from the palm of his hand came a light that took the form of a long sword. He swung it with ease and where the blade went, it sliced through everything, including the very air. Kou knew that this fight would be dangerous. This man... was dangerous. The two simply stood there in silence, watching one another. And then... they disappeared. It had appeared as though the two of them had completely vanished into thin air, but listen in closely, and one would be able to tell that there were multiple disturbances in the air.

Invisible to most people, the speed in which the events were occurring in this relatively small space on the rooftop was beyond normal. The two powerful forces clashed with one another, exchanging multiple blows that were beyond the comprehension of others. To Kou, this enemy was someone whom she felt she may not win. This power was beyond anything she knew of, anything that she could face. She was able to fend off the attacks but Kou was not a fighter who could last long fights. She was a fighter who finished fights within seconds. But this enemy was not someone she could win in a single fight.

"What's the matter, Guardian? Getting tired?"

The young man gloated, making Kou rather angry.

"Good, good. Let that hate flow through you."

Why was he saying the same things as some old movie?

"It is better to feel hatred, than to not feel anything at all."

Those words made her chest hurt and she was forced to stop, clutching her chest as though someone had pierced it with a hot spear. The young man lightly landed on his feet as he walked towards her.

"Wha-... what did you do?!"

Kou demanded. Her head was filled with... feelings? Things she should not be having. The pain within her was beyond what she had felt before, a large surge of emotions that were forcibly turning and spinning in her, forcing her on her knees.

"I did nothing, Kurogane Kou. I did nothing... but knock on the door with the rusted lock."

The young man said, squatting on the floor to her eye level.

"Wha... do you... mean..."

"You may believe yourself to be empty, to be void of all things, but that is not possible with humans. Humans will have feelings, will have emotions, will have such thoughts, as long as they live, as long as they experience life."

"I-... have... no need... for such... frail... things..."

Kou breathed hard as the pain wrecked throughout her.

"No... not now... but soon, you will."

"?"

The young man stood back up to his feet.

"This World is corrupted, Kurogane Kou. It is corrupted with war, with suffering, with pain. You should know this."

Kou did indeed know what the young man was talking about, but what does that have to do with anything?

"The corruption cannot be undone as there are those who would see this World destroyed, but that is not something that must come to pass. Kurogane Kou, I want you to work with me-"

"I refuse."

The young man was slightly surprised by her immediate answer.

"I did not even finish talking."

"I do not... deal with my enemies."

Kou spat, struggling to her feet.

"Enemies... I see. Well, that is to be expected. Kurogane Kou, what you see before you is only one path. I have seen your past and know that you have suffered greatly. But the path you walk is merely one in the thousands that were laid out for you. Blinded by your rage, you closed off all other ways. Paths that could save this World... and the SSS2."

"I do not care for such things-"

"Because you are a weapon?"

This time it was the young man's turn to interrupt Kou.

"That pain you feel in your chest proves otherwise, Kurogane Kou. You may have said you threw away all emotion, but you simply pushed them aside and ignored them. Those feelings are the same ones that were given to you by your parents. By your friends. By Fudou Akira."

Fudou Akira.

That name.

"Aki...ra..."

"Do you want to waste what he had done?"

Waste?

Akira.

His efforts.

His work.

"Akira... is dead... killed by things... like you."

Kou glared straight at the young man, who merely nodded.

"Yes. It is true that we NPCs are the cause of his death. But you understand, don't you? You realise that the reason for the NPCs going berserk is because of this World."

Yes, Kou did realise it some time ago. She had thought once that perhaps she could change it. But she had lost herself to the same darkness that she was trying to change.

"You understand all of this, and yet you closed off all other paths to change this World. That path only led you further into the depths of despair and cause more damage to the system. Is that truly what you want?"

"I... will destroy... everything."

"... Once again, you reject everything. The hatred within you is strong, but misplaced. What do you hope to achieve by destroying everything?"

"There is... no meaning."

"So you will become a 'hakai-shin' (God of destruction) for the sake of your madness."

"I will become anything... to see you all burn."

The young man sighed, shaking his head. Kou was harder to convince than anyone he had ever known.

"This is going to be long. Just what did Kei say to do in times like this?"

Kei? Kou knew that name. It was name she was all too familiar with.

"Kei...?"

"Yes, Kei... Kurogane Kei. Your brother."

Her heart felt strained. Her brother?

"Kei... Kei... Kei..."

Her mind was going blank again. Her chest felt pained.

"What the- Oh crap, she's going into mental meltdown."

The young man quickly ran over to her and placed his hand on her head, causing her mind to relax, the pain and emotions slowly disappearing. Kou became aware once more, of her own surroundings.

"You... why did you-"

"I need your help, Kurogane Kou, and it would trouble me greatly if you were to lose yourself here."

The young man got back up to his feet.

"Why... should I?"

Kou asked, getting back up to her feet as well.

"Because you can. Your brother did not want me to involve you but I have little choice in choosing my allies."

"..."

Kou did not want to believe this NPC but for some reason she felt that she could trust him. And for one more reason. Her brother.

"... So... you want to stop... this madness?"

Kou asked, and the young man nodded.

"Of course. This is not something that should be taken lightly. Soon, this entire World will change for the worse, and when that time comes... well, we shall see what happens from there. So, do we have a deal?"

The young man asked, stretching out his hand. Kou was hesitant. To make a deal with her enemy? The one she swore revenge upon? But what he had just told her was now more important to her. The end of all Worlds. Akira would not want it. Her... brother, did not want it. But...

"... You leave me with very little choices."

Kou muttered, taking his hand firmly.

"Even I have very little choices left. I will soon 'reset' and when you find me, I will not be the same as now. Rather, 'I' as 'myself' will cease to remain. From here on out, it will be up to you... and 'my new self'."

"... What do you mean?"

The young man smiled and pulled back his hood, revealing a very familiar face to Kou.

"All will be explained in time, Kurogane Kou."

* * *

_Present_

"And you disappeared before me... Only to reappear in the midst of the battlefield."

Kou concluded as she sat on the table where the computer sat and propped up one of her legs onto the table as well.

"And you reappear without any memories... and with a 'soul'... my brother's soul."

Katsuragi Rei closed his eyes and sighed. His past self was very cocky person, much like his own creator.

"Kurogane Kei had given me his soul in order to infiltrate the SSS2. I do not think that using someone else's soul for such a purpose is a good idea but it was the only way."

Kou stared at Rei for a while, studying him, before speaking once more.

"... You've changed."

She noted.

"Changed?"

"... I do not... believe... you would say that... if you were the same... as five years ago."

Rei knew what she meant. Certainly, his past self would not say the same things.

"Perhaps it is the influence of having a 'soul', or maybe it was the time spent in the SSS2. I do not know."

"Maybe... it was both."

Kou said, closing her eyes in some form of satisfaction.

"And that is what you meant by 'not the same'."

Kou's words were unheard by Rei, who was having some difficulty remembering all of the events that transpired thus far. He could not access the memories from that fight with Kou, having some sort of 'blocked access' on that part of his memories.

"It does not matter... the past... is the past."

Kou waved it off and looked straight at Rei.

"You have questions... don't you?"

Rei looked up at that and nodded. He did have questions to ask. Quite a list, to be honest.

"First things first... how did Amatsukai Ichigo defeat you?"

Rei could never imagine someone as powerful as Kou could be defeated by Ichigo, although Ichigo's power was unusual.

"... He is strong."

"...Huh?"

Strong?

"Do not misunderstand my words... I never said I was defeated him... I did not even fight him."

Kou answered simply, making Rei even more confused.

"What do you mean you did not even fight him?"

"... I mean what I said... You were taking too long to arrive... so I fell asleep."

.

.

.

.

"Asleep?"

"When I woke up... I was tied up to that cross... why are my clothes ripped?"

Kou now looked down to her own clothes in puzzlement.

"W-what about the blood? Not Amatsukai's blood, I mean-

"Ketchup."

"K-ketchup?"

"Ketchup."

"..."

Apparently Kou did not want Rei to press any further than that. Still, it did bother Rei quite some bit about that. Ketchup?

"O-okay... About the 'promise' we made..."

Rei trailed off but Kou seemed to know what he was thinking about.

"... It is alright... if you do not remember... After all... it was a promise... with an EX Angel... who would not stop pestering me."

"But that 'EX Angel' is-"

"Is no longer here."

Kou cut him off.

"... Do not think of it."

Kou said, hugging her knee as she closed her eyes, making her look like she was resting. Her soft features with her long dark matted hair made her look peaceful and full of grace, if it weren't for the fact that she was covered in blood. It reminded Rei of the first time he saw her... when he was 'reset' as an 'irregular' being. After the 'reset' he had lost most of his memories from his past as a complete NPC, but managed to recover bits and pieces after meeting Kei in the 'dark World'. Speaking of which, just who is Kurogane Kei? Besides being Kurogane Kou's brother, Kei had the ability to enter the 'dark World' despite being human? Only NPCs with administrative rights could do that. He shook his head as he went back onto topic.

"Even if we made such a promise, why did you go to such lengths to ensure it happens? From covering for Tenryuu Shuusuke, to taking me in... you even made me a 'Guardian' when my identity was revealed."

Kou nodded in response to his words.

"... Yes... I did all that... and more... All for a simple promise... no... for a simple wish."

"Wish?"

Kou opened her eyes and looked at Rei silently. Her eyes seemed to hold some sort of... conflict within herself. Uncertainty, self-doubt.

"... It was... a simple wish... to perhaps... put my own past to rest..."

Her past? Rei did not understand what past she was referring to.

"Perhaps... to see someone... I thought I would never see... once more."

Those words stabbed Rei in the chest like a knife. He knew it would be like this. He knew that for Kurogane Kou, her heart still longed for Fudou Akira. Rei knew it, but his heart could not accept it. Wait... his heart?

"Is it Fudou Akira?"

Why did he ask that? He did not know, even though he was afraid of the answer, he still asked.

"... No."

Kou's answer made him surprised... and shocked.

"Akira is... no more... No matter how much I want to see him... he will never return."

Kou added on.

"The one I wanted to see... is someone... who had watched over me... who had protected me... all this time... You."

"... Huh?"

Kou swung her leg down as she got off the table.

"This World... holds us in with our regrets..."

Kou said, taking one slow step at a time towards him, dragging her scythe along the floor as she walked.

"We come here... to release our regrets... to find peace and move on... but there are those who do not... those... who are irregularities."

Kou's words were getting stronger. They were unlike her previous self. These words... had feeling.

"Irregularities... in a system made so perfect... that it in itself is flawed... Irregularities that were made by the system... and also the ones who would destroy the system."

Kou was changing. She wasn't the silent and cold person Rei knew of. No... she's now something more.

"There are those... who come to this World without regrets... the 'Lost ones'."

Otonashi Yuzuru.

"There are those... who come to this World and change their regrets... the 'Discovered ones'."

The Division leaders.

"And there are those... who had fulfilled their dues... but refuse to leave... the 'Rebels'."

The SSS and the SSS2.

"Regrets... I thought I had given up on all of that... that my only goal was to destroy... to kill everything... In a sense, I became similar to... a 'lost one'... one who is meant to be here... but thrown aside the reason for being here... I exist to kill... that should be my only path... that should be my only will... but-"

Kou stopped right before Kei, her face close to his and her eyes staring straight into his. Her scent that lingered in his nose. Her dark eyes that once held no life in them... flickered.

"... I found myself having one more regret... a regret that I should not have made... that I could not have made on my own... a regret that cannot exist... but yet persists... A regret that will haunt me... a regret... that will cost me... A regret... that I must cut loose."

Kou brought up her scythe. Bringing it down swiftly and shaving off a bit of hair as Rei managed to jump back and create the distance between them.

_[Boss Fight]_

_[6th Division Leader: Guardians]_

_[Reaper / God of Death]_

_[Kurogane Kou]_

_[Alignment: Chaotic Evil]_

_[Type: Wrath]_

_[Level: 800_

_HP: 900000000000000_

_MP: 800000000000000_

_Strength: SSS_

_Agility: SSS_

_Endurance: D_

_Luck: SSS]_

_[Weapons List:_

_- Kurenai (Rank SS)_

_- Hikari (Rank SS)_

_- Scythe of the Reaper (Rank SSS)_

_- ? ? ? ( ? ) ]_

_VERSUS_

_[Angel Rebels]_

_[EX Angel]_

_[Katsuragi Rei]_

_[Alignment: Lawful Good]_

_[Level: 500_

_HP: 10000000000_

_MP: 20000000000_

_Strength: S_

_Agility: SS_

_Endurance: A_

_Luck: A]_

_[Weapons List:_

_- Blue Gear (Rank SSS)]_

.

.

.

"I came to regret... falling in love... with you."

* * *

Kurogane Kou was a person who had thrown aside all emotions, all thoughts and distractions in order to focus on killing her enemies. She had trained and honed herself into a sharp blade with no equal but all of that changed when she met him. She had fallen in love once before, with Fudou Akira. But that was a short-lived love and it ended in tragedy. It was through his death that made her into the unstoppable killing machine that she became. It was through such a pain that made her realise that feelings were a distraction and so she threw it all away. But emotions don't get thrown away so easily. They merely get covered over, suppressed, until the right moment where they emerge even without warning. Emotions are not things to controlled by the whims of humans.

And such was the case for Kou as well. No matter how much she tried to kill off those emotions, they persisted, pestering and poking at her till she grew frustrated with them. In the beginning, she had thought Katsuragi Rei to be her enemy. He was, after all, the EX Angel, even if he did lose all of his memories and suddenly became a human hybrid. But the truth of his words and him working together with her brother was something that stopped her from outright killing him. Her brother, the one she was constantly compared to in life and the one she had to live up to. In all aspects she should have resented him, hated him for forcing the harsh life that she lived onto her. But she could not hate her brother, after all her brother did no wrong. Her brother even doted on her, cared for her and sheltered her as much as he could. She could not hate her brother no matter how much she tried.

And so she would go along with his plans. By helping Katsuragi Rei as well as Tenryuu Shuusuke, Kurogane Kou became the most powerful fighter to work... against the interest of the SSS2. In order to save the SSS2 and the Afterlife, she had to go against the other Division leaders though they did not realise it at all. The SSS2's greatest weapon was also their enemy. But Kurogane Kou did not openly object to the SSS2's goals. She hated her life and wanted to change it... but the path it took was wrong. Yuki was wrong. Kou finally realised that fact when she fought against Katsuragi Rei on the rooftop during EX day. And so she covered for Tenryuu Shuusuke and Katsuragi, moving the pieces in her hands in order to ensure that when the time came, the program would not succeed in destroying everything.

But over the days that passed, she met Katsuragi Rei and talked with him. Something about him seemed to be nagging at her from inside. He was... innocent, pure, good-willed. All the qualities she was not. He was ever forward-looking, ever positive and encouraging. It was... oddly refreshing. He was almost a complete opposite to his past NPC self. Was it the effect of transforming into a hybrid? Kou did not know, but what she did know was that Rei was... interesting. The views he held were varied and he had times when he would stumble about, lost in his thoughts and worries. He was, in a sense, more 'human' than she ever was.

And she came to hate it.

The feelings that clawed at her from within. The unquenchable thirst for more. All of it were undesired. All of it were not required. All of it were useless. All must be removed.

"And so I will cut those feelings off."

The two traded multiple blows, using their weapons to clash against one another. Kou, unrelenting and unforgiving, pursued Moving swiftly like the wind and as gracefully as a flowing river, Kou spun her entire body around, bringing her large scythe in a full arc and brought it down on Rei. For Rei, his only weapon at present was his sword, Blue Gear, but it was a weapon that would suit his needs well. Pulling the trigger, his movements were sped up, allowing him to deflect the blow from Kou. But Kou was not only fast, she was strong. The weight of her blow was more than what Rei could muster his strength against. Flicking a small switch behind the trigger, he pulled the trigger once more, and suddenly he managed to find enough power to push off Kou. Kou jumped back, showing no hint of surprise at Rei's sudden changes in his fighting abilities.

"... Blue Gear... the perfect weapon of order."

Kou muttered, swinging her scythe down.

"You know of it?"

"... Musashi did tell me... that it would be his... greatest work."

Blue gear was more than Musashi's greatest work. It was a weapon that was integrated as part of the Afterlife as a whole. Born from the purest of essences Musashi could get a hold on, it was pure and free from the madness that had plagued this World. It was a weapon made for the 'perfect' being, a weapon made for one purpose, the right the wrongs done so by madness. Shaped into a long straight single edged blade, it was comparable to a katana in its durability and cutting strength though longer by ten centimetres and being straight, rather than curved. It had a trigger on the handle under the guard of the blade which would trigger off its special abilities. The weapon's special ability lay in the pommel end of its hilt. The pommel was thicker than normal katana pommels and had two latches above one another.

Opening the first latch would flip the top portion of the pommel open, revealing two large circular holes that would fit in two rounds of specially made bullets, each half the size of a shotgun round. The second latch would reveal a full chamber for a pistol sized magazine to be fit inside. The magazine type of rounds would increase the speed of Rei's swing drastically at the cost of power for each time the trigger is pulled. The individual rounds would increase the strength of the swing while being harder to swing, with each round able to be increase the strength of the swing for a full five seconds. The 'power' round and the 'speed' round, these were the secret abilities of Blue Gear, but the 'speed' round could not be used during the time the 'power' round is in effect. However, these things were merely the abilities of the weapon... not its true power. Blue gear was a weapon that would erase any corruption, to purify any evil. It was a weapon that was akin to 'God', if such a being did exist in this World.

"So come... 'perfection'... and see if you can right my 'corruption'."

Kou charged at Rei once more. Kou swung her weapon without hesitation, clear on her intent to kill him. To kill the cause of her doubts. To sever the last connection she had to being human. She did not need to be human. She was a weapon. A weapon that served its purpose. A weapon that was covered in blood without a sheath. A weapon with no more purpose. A weapon that will turn on everything around her. And she would bare her fangs against the man she came to love.

"Why? Why must we fight?"

Rei demanded to know, even as he continued to dodge the swings of Kou's attacks.

"Because it is necessary."

Kou answered, swinging her scythe down and smashing it into the ground, creating a large crater with her attack. Each of Kou's attacks were filled with raw power and emotion. She threw her scythe at him, making it spin wildly as it flew towards him. He jumped to one side but was greeted by Kou, who drew her two katana and slashed straight at him. The twin katana of Kurogane Kou. Kurenai and Hikari. The twin swords of two lovers of tragedy. One destined to be soaked red in blood for vengeance, the other losing its shine to the rust of time. One had its owner consumed and destroyed, the other made to bear the weight of sadness of loss.

They were swords made by a smith who had hoped for them to be the way to clear doubts, for two lovers bound together by the threads of misfortune to find a way to cut through all that stood before them. But the smith was mistaken, for he could not make a blade to cut through the fate would befall them. In his despair, the smith swore to ensure that he would give his all to create a single blade that would undo this madness. To repent for his mistakes he would put in all he had into one blade, the one weapon that would change not only the sorrowful tale of the two lost lovers, but to change the entire fate of the World. The sword to challenge the sad fate of the twin swords. Blue Gear.

"We... were always standing at opposite ends... of the same field."

Kou threw a flurry of thrusts and swings at him, but Rei kept jumping aside to dodge each attack or using his sword to guard against any that he could not avoid. Kou's movements were familiar to Rei, the type of movements made by other dual wielding sword practitioners in the SSS2. Rei knew that Kou was the type of person who could 'copy' the movements of other people perfectly, essentially becoming a 'mirror' but her body is unable to cope with such movements for long. To most who knew of Kurogane Kou, she was a 'glass-cannon', someone who had explosive and all-powerful attacks, but had pure endurance and an even poorer mental stability. But she was still a powerful person, undoubtedly the strongest in the SSS2, and someone who would stop at nothing to see her goals through. With Kou's attacks getting more sluggish as they went on, Rei knew that it would be a matter of time before-

"You think too soon."

Kou muttered, flipping both swords in her hands and stabbing them down into the ground. She grabbed a barely visible string from her belt and pulled it hard. From where it landed, her large scythe flew back to her hand and now with her scythe, Kou swung it at him again, continuing her aggressive attacks. No one else in the organisation used scythes and Kou was the only person who could. It is unknown how she managed to learn to use it but no one really questioned it. She got the job done with such a weapon so whatever she was doing with it certainly works. However to Rei that was a different story. In fact, he would rather it not work at all. Swing after swing, he dodged or parried, each attack that came at him varied differently from the last. Her swing could be slow but powerful, then fast but in poor aim, and then powerful once again. And while her attacks did vary, her movements did not.

Kou was a powerful fighter, no one could doubt that, and part of the reason why people respect her was because she was powerful and graceful at the same time. A graceful murderer who paints the canvases red. Her graceful movements and serene like beauty were almost too distracting for Rei to focus completely. It almost came to the point where Rei did not mind getting hit by Kou's attack at all. Of course, that would be bad for him. Getting hit by Kou's attack was no laughing matter. He could get pulverised and disintegrated into specks of pixels if he wasn't careful. But there was one thing that bothered Rei. It was what Kou had said. She said that she had gained one more regret when she had supposedly thrown away all others. Her regret was falling in love with him. But why?

"Because you were always there."

Kou muttered, swinging down her weapon but missed and causing another hole in the ground.

"No matter where... no matter when... you were always there... you saved me when I was consumed... you watched over me through the days after... you were always there to protect me."

Those days were long gone, the days when he was still a complete NPC. He remembered that he had an interest in Kou, and that interest was so strong it stayed with him despite him becoming a hybrid. In fact, it not only stayed with him, it grew. It became a feeling he could not ignore.

"And you... appeared before me in the SSS2... you became someone else... but still you... you still tried to protect me... despite your position."

His position? As a low ranked Wolf?

"And you... even said some... weird stuff."

That day in the classroom.

"GAH! THAT'S TOO EMBARASSING! Please forget all about that!"

"I won't."

Kou answered simply.

"Huh?"

Kou stopped in her attacks and stood there, grabbing onto her own chest.

"... I won't forget... because to me... that day... those words... are too important... to forget."

Kou looked at Rei, her eyes showing something he thought he would never see. A tear?

"These... feelings... that I must cut... they can never be pushed... they can never be covered... why... why do they exist? ... Why do they keep appearing? ... Why must you keep appearing before me? ... Why... WHY?!"

Kou suddenly burst out shouting, surprising Rei. Kou was.. shouting? And with such powerful emotions.

**"WHY? ! WHY DO THESE THINGS KEEP COMING TO ME? ! THE MORE I TRY TO PUSH THEM BACK THE STRONGER THEY COME AT ME! WHEN I CLOSE MY EYES, ALL I SEE IS YOU! WHEN I HEAR YOUR VOICE IT MAKES ME WEAK! ALL THOSE NIGHTS BECAME COLD AND LONELY! ALL LONGING FOR YOU TO BE NEXT TO ME! WHY MUST I FEEL SUCH THINGS? ! IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER IF I HAD NEVER KNEW OF SUCH THINGS!"**

Kou screamed, tears streaming down from her eyes as her own emotions and thoughts were thrown into mass confusion.

**"WHY MUST I BE HAVING DOUBTS WITHIN ME? ! YOU WERE MY ENEMY! YOU WERE NEVER MEANT TO BE HERE! YET WHY MUST I HAVE SUCH STRONG FEELINGS FOR YOU? ! I DON'T UNDERSTAND! I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY MUST I FEEL SUCH PAIN WITHIN ME! WHY? !** ... Why... Why must I fall in love... with you?"

Kou cried, looking up to Rei. Her face showing her anguish over this.

"Of all people... Why...why you? ... why must it be you?"

Rei did not know this side of Kou. He knew she was frail inside, that despite her strong and cold exterior she was still a girl on the inside.

"Kou.."

He wanted to go over to her but Kou raised her scythe, pointing it at him.

"Do not... come close..."

Kou warned, but her expressions do not match her words as Rei had never seen such a sad smile like hers.

"Our... this... 'love'... cannot exist..."

"It... 'cannot exist'?"

Rei did not understand why she said that.

"You... the ideal form of humanity... the representation of Order... and I... the devil of destruction... the pure form of Chaos... We cannot exist without the other... what defines us... But even if we cannot survive without one another... we can never be together."

What Kou said made something in Rei snap.

"We can be together!"

He shouted.

"For Chaos must always go in hand with Order! Or are you saying that as Chaos, you are choosing to abide by the rules of your own definition?"

"..."

Kou looked at Rei in silence. Chaos is defined by being the opposite of Order. If Order does not exist, there is no way to define what is Chaos. And yet Chaos, by its very definition of the word, is something that does not go along the rules set in place. To be Chaos is to break the rules, and yet Kou believed herself unable to break the rule that Chaos and Order cannot be together.

"... That... is a paradoxical contradiction..."

Kou finally said with a slight smile.

"But... the fact remains... that we stand at the opposite ends... of the same field... Really... why did it have to be you?"

Kou asked once more before she tapped her scythe on the floor.

_[Program: Initialized]_

_[Corruption level: 1000%]_

_[Engaging DEMON protocol]_

_"I am the Purest of Sins_

_I am the raw emotion of nature,_

_the blood within the veins of life._

_I am the blade of evil,_

_And the hatred inflicted upon all._

_I am the reaper,_

_Sweeping across the land and devouring all._

_I stand as the mighty sword,_

_poised above to strike down at any time._

_I am born from hate,_

_The bare natural state of the World._

_I destroy Worlds,_

_kill species,_

_burn lands._

_No matter where,_

_no matter how,_

_you can never escape my grasp._

_I am the hatred,_

_I am the spite._

_I am the loss of reason._

_I am the vengeance that will not be denied._

_I am the dark voice that makes all lose their sanity._

_I sit upon my blood covered throne of thorns,_

_Baring my fangs to any who dare to approach._

_I am the darkness that lies in wait within the Shadows._

_I am the undeniable driving force of Wars._

_The start of Wars,_

_The end of Wars,_

_The sole lingering survivor of Wars._

_The weight of my presence will be carried throughout all generations._

_Hate from parent,_

_Pass to child,_

_Then to grandchild,_

_I shall taint all without fail._

_The blade to strike at the weakness of all._

_I am the finger that accuses others,_

_Bringing even the best of friends to be bitter enemies._

_I can rally nations,_

_And get them to fight over nothing._

_The Chaos in physical form,_

_I am the Devil who stands opposed to anything._

_Anger is my calling._

_Violence is my creed._

_Hear my name and know what you face,_

_I am Satan,_

_I am Ira,_

_I am_

_._

_._

_._

_Wrath."_

_[Satan; Activate]_

_[Boss Fight]_

_[Incarnation of Wrath: Satan]_

_[Kurogane Kou]_

_[CHAOS; Activated]_

_[SATAN equipped]_

_[Alignment: Chaotic Evil]_

_[Level: 1000_

_HP: 1000000000000000_

_MP: 1000000000000000_

_Strength: EX_

_Agility: EX_

_Endurance: SSS_

_Luck: EX]_

_[Weapons List:_

_- Kurenai (Rank SS)_

_- Hikari (Rank SS)_

_- Scythe of the Reaper (Rank SSS)_

_- Blade of Bahamut (Rank SSS)_

_- ? ? ? ( ? ) ]_

"... Let us end this..."


	57. Chapter 57

A/N: I had initially intended to include a whole lot more into this chapter but the fight drew out longer than I had anticipated. This fic is really taking up a whole lot of time for me. I had intended this to be the second last chapter, but it seems to me that this will be the third last chapter? It's really tiring because even though I have the plot set out right in front of me, I just can't seem to make transform them into words.

Because I split the fight, the next chapter should be quite short. Shorter than this one at the very least.

From here on out, there is a lot of philosophical stuff flying about. Well, my stories usually have a whole lot of that sort of stuff in it. Also started up a starcraft fic. I think after this Angel Beats fic, I will stay away from the anime section and go back to the games section for awhile. I still have my Strike Witches story though... maybe I'll update that one from time to time.

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 57_

_True Wrath_

The Armour of Wrath, SATAN, was very much like its namesake. A thick pitch black armour that covered her body. Plate upon plate that lined like scales. An dark overcoat that went over and two Dragon skull shaped pauldrons covering her shoulders, her metal gauntlets sharp and lined with 'claws'. It was unlike any armour known to Rei as it was made from pure hate and suffering. It was an armour that embodied the will of its user, the dark despair of a life that suffered. The armour of the Dragons, the sword of Wrath, the wall of thorns. With it, Kou was nearly unstoppable. She had become a dragon herself. Dragons are common mythology across the World, the ancient imaginations of humans sparked by either finding bones of ancient beasts or by word of mouth. Dragons varied from nation to nation, some representing good fortune, and others representing it with evil and death. The dragon is seen most commonly associated with wealth, intelligence and power.

But what those were related to were as varied as the stories told of them. Dragons symbolised power, be it good or bad, and they wield unmatched strength against any and all. They were the pinnacle of the wild and acted on pure emotion. They were seen as greedy, hoarders of gold. They were seen as evil creatures who lusted for the taste of virgin women. They were seen as creatures who stood themselves up as having no equal. They were creatures with insatiable hunger. They would be seen as creatures who could sleep through centuries and not stir. They were creatures that stood as the full fury of absolute might. They were 'Sin'. A creature born out of the minds of humans, the representation of both good and bad. A creature so profound yet so simple that it is a legend unto itself. This was Wrath, the fury of Sin.

The purest of all sins and the one that can never be controlled. Wrath is not something to be controlled. It can be hidden, be covered up with something else but in the end, it was something that would never go away. Humans are born with Wrath within them, made up of three forms: Spite, Hatred, Violence. Spite would lead to Hatred, and Hatred would lead to Violence. The aftermath of Violence would only lead back to Spite. The eternal cycle of retribution. An eye for an eye. Humans are born with such a mentality that they cannot see anything else. They cannot believe that such a thinking can only lead them to ruin. And even if such a hatred was born thousands of years ago, the hatred will continue on, passed on from generation to generation. From father, to son. For in the eyes of many, the child of a murderer is a murderer. The wound inflicted upon their ancestors is the same wound that is inflicted upon them. And so they will turn their blades against one another.

Humans are sad creatures, unable to see anything past their own history and present. A species of creatures that had progressed so far in such a short amount of time, only to destroy themselves over petty squabbles. For it is within the nature of humans to fight, to wage war and to kill. Wrath is special amongst the seven Sins as it is common across all creatures. The instinct to hunt, to protect ones own territory or family, to eliminate any competition that may hinder its own chance to continue its own lineage. But humans... humans take Wrath to another level. Humans have the ability to 'create' Wrath. To make things that is not necessary for survival and build hate upon it. Wrath... is a Sin that shaped humans into what they are today. Wrath... is the Sin that shall destroy them all.

As with all things, Wrath would change anything it touches, resulting in the twin swords, Kurenai and Hikari to be twisted into darker versions of their former selves. Their blades and guards became sharper and had the heads of Dragons on them. Her scythe grew larger, and it too had transformed to have draconian features. Infused with her SIN, Kou was more powerful than before. She no longer had the same disadvantage of her endurance as before, the power of Wrath enabling her to keep fighting beyond what her body is capable of for Wrath is in itself a driving force of wills. Kurogane Kou, the most powerful being in the SSS2, was now even more powerful.

"Isn't this too much?"

Katsuragi Rei was having an odd feeling that he could have possibly picked the shortest straw when it came to this entire climbing tower fighting division leader sort of event, if it could even be called an event. In the first place, why was it so common to have such a shounen style type of fighting? Why was it necessary for each person to fight another one on one? That did not happen for the first three division leaders, did it? So why change that? Rei really wished he had some form of back-up right about now.

"Why... are you not bringing out your all?"

Kou asked, pointing her weapon at Rei.

"What do you mean 'my all'?"

"... If you will not fight me seriously... then I will make you."

Kou suddenly disappeared from view and only through Rei's instincts did he turn around and bring up his sword to block Kou's attack from behind. He just barely managed to stop the attack, with Kou's scythe just a hair's breath away from his face. And not only was Kou faster than before, she was also much stronger. Rei could barely hold the attack back and was forced to jump to one side, deflecting the attack away. But Kou disappeared once more, reappearing right next to Rei. This time Rei was not able to react as quickly as before, and Kou's attack hit him square in the abdomen, sending him flying through the air and crashing some distance away.

_[Katsuragi Rei receives 100000 damage]_

Rei struggled to his feet but even before he could stand up straight, Kou reappeared right in front of him. Without warning, Kou used her scythe's broad side and slammed it into Rei, making him sail through the air once more and crashing into the ground.

_[Katsuragi Rei receives 100000 damage]_

"... Why are you not trying?"

Kou demanded, reappearing next to Rei again. Rei struggled to get up from the floor but the pain that wrecked his body was excruciating to the point where he could not get up from all fours.

"Is it... because you cannot fight me?"

Kou asked, using her boot and stepped on Rei's back, pushing him down back onto the floor.

"Such a weakness... such foolishness... If you cannot fight... you will die."

* * *

"Why did you go ahead and create such things?"

Kamiya Yuzuru demanded to know from his 'other half', Otonashi Yuzuru. The enigmatic 'leader' of the Afterlife merely turned and smiled.

"'Such things'? You sure like to ask pretty vague things."

"Don't play games with me."

Kamiya narrowed his eyes at Otonashi.

"Are you talking about my NPCs?"

Otonashi pointed to where the two Kanades and their massive number of clones from 'Harmonics' were fighting one another in one massive display of carnage.

"Hmm... moe carnage."

Otonashi mused.

"Don't change the subject! You're playing with things that caused further disruptions in this World! You're playing God!"

Kamiya snapped. Otonashi smiled at that remark.

"'God'? 'Things that caused further disruptions'? You seem to get it all wrong, my dear 'half'... I am not playing God. I am merely creating the means to an end."

"What are you-"

"It may have been my mistake to create them in the first place but in the end, it is through 'him' that this will all end."

"'Him'? You mean-"

Otonashi smirked at Kamiya's deduction.

"Yes... my ultimate creation. Katsuragi Rei."

* * *

Rei coughed and wheezed, unable to find the strength to get up. He could not fight against Kou. How could he? He had tried to steel his resolve back then but it was too much. Kou's strength, her power was overwhelming. She had become a 'God of War', and he was unable to match her in combat. What's worse, he could not make himself strong enough to fight her after those words. Rei was in love with Kou, he wanted to save her and protect her, but he had doubts. He doubted that such feelings would reach her for he was the enemy. Her enemy. His existence caused her much pain and so it was the right thing to throw aside his own feelings and free her. For her sake.

But Kou did feel the same about him. Kou felt herself connect with someone for the first time in many years. From Rei always protecting her, to being the bearer of her brother's soul. He would always be there whenever she felt her madness reach its peak. His words were always the ones that she needed to hear the most. Was it all planned? Or was it all coincidental? Kou could never tell and to her it did not matter. And it was because of all of this that Rei felt his indecisiveness grow. He should complete his mission, to help Kou break free from her madness, to sever the bonds she had with her Sin and to make her pass on. That is suppose to be his duty, but he could not. How could he bring his blade down on her?

_'You can not keep your promise to me if you keep this up.'_

A familiar voice sounded in his head. This voice is-

"..."

Kou seemed to have noticed it.

_'You promised to protect her, but you are doing her more harm by not doing anything.'_

The voice said, making Rei realise the facts.

_'So what are you doing on the floor? Get up!'_

Kou narrowed her eyes as she knew who it was that she was sensing.

"... Onii...san."

* * *

"You see, he is more than just some NPC with a human soul in him. He is a being that will transcend all. He is a being born from perfection, brought up through wars and hardships, and will mould into a being that will be beyond the concept of 'Gods'. A 'God' is a static being, unmoving and unchangeable. They are beings that are 'born' as powerful, from the minds of humans they are seen as 'almighty', but they are only as powerful as the humans who worship them believe them to be. They cannot grow, they cannot change. They are static. But what I have created... is far more than just 'static'. He is able to change, to adapt."

* * *

_'Get up!'_

The voices of his comrades.

* * *

"He can learn to overcome obstacles."

* * *

_'How can you protect her if you do not even try!'_

The voice of the one who gave him the chance.

* * *

"He will grow."

* * *

_'Get up and fight!'_

The voice of the ones who never gave up on him.

* * *

"He will transcend."

* * *

_'Fight! Katsuragi Rei!'_

The voices of all.

* * *

"He is a 'Zero' (Rei). He is a 'Void'. For nothing is also everything. And so I am not playing 'God'... I have created... a 'God'... no, a being beyond 'God'. I have created... 'TRUTH'."

* * *

_[Angel Program access granted]_

_[All Systems access]_

_[Re-routing power]_

_[Levels critical]_

_[Subroutine access]_

_[Additional power supplemented]_

_[ARC_ANGEL; Operational]_

_[HYBRID; initiated]_

_[DEUS_EX_MACHINA; activate]_

* * *

'TRUTH', is defined as 'fact', as an actuality, an event or situation that occurs before the eyes of people. It must be able to be repeated under the same or similar circumstances in order to provide 'proof' that it is 'real', and thereby establishing it as 'TRUTH'. 'TRUTH' starts out as a thought, a simple process that begins in the mind with no tangible form. It is said that if only one is able to 'perceive' it, it is a 'delusion'. Until another is able to 'perceive' it, it would merely remain as a 'delusion' and eventually fade away into nothing. However once another is able to 'perceive' it, it no longer becomes a 'delusion', but rather becomes a 'possibility'.

A 'possibility' would then become stronger the more people are able to 'perceive' it as such. It only becomes 'TRUTH' when a large number of people are able to perceive it, and are able to replicate the results with the set circumstances or are able to 'see' the process occur for themselves. But the number of people who need to see it in order for it to be a 'TRUTH' is undetermined. It can be a 'TRUTH' to the sole person who perceives it but to others it is simply a 'delusion'. And 'TRUTH' has as many sides to it as the number of people who are able to 'perceive' it.

'TRUTH' is not a single faced entity, nor is it something that is able to exist without multiple 'delusions' of many. 'TRUTH' is considered to be an absolute law as it takes into consideration the thoughts of the 'majority'. If an event were to occur with only one witness, the 'TRUTH' of that event will only stay with that one individual while others will merely create their own 'TRUTH' through theories, deductions and through speculations. Therefore the 'TRUTH'... is what people make it to be.

However.

This does not mean the power of 'TRUTH' is weak, rather this makes it strong. 'TRUTH' is based upon the beliefs of people and the more people believe, the stronger 'TRUTH' will become. 'TRUTH' becomes something greater than all else as it becomes certainty.

_[Truth of the World; LAW]_

_[First unblessed saviour]_

_[Katsuragi Rei]_

_[Judgement; Activated]_

_[Deus Ex Machina equipped]_

_[Alignment: Lawful Righteous]_

_[Level: 1000_

_HP: 1000000000000000_

_MP: 1000000000000000_

_Strength: EX_

_Agility: EX_

_Endurance: EX_

_Luck: EX]_

_[Weapons List:_

_- Blue Gear (Rank SS)_

_- Heaven's Veil (Rank SS)]_

* * *

Deus Ex Machina is literally translated as 'God born from Machine', or 'man-made God'. And in this case, Katsuragi Rei is indeed, the 'Deus Ex Machina'. Becoming something more than a normal Angel, more than a normal human being, he has become 'TRUTH' of the Afterlife. He would serve to change the course of the dark end of the SSS2, seek to save them and let them all pass on. Perhaps this was the power that Otonashi had wanted Rei to understand on his own. Why did he make Rei? Why did he task him with infiltrating the SSS2? Why not simply force them to submit and pass on? Because they wouldn't. Otonashi knew that to force someone to pass on will only make things worse, and to fight the Division leaders, Katsuragi Rei would need to become someone who is able to stand above them, to make them see the errors in their ways.

He would have to become 'God'... and surpass even that. What Katsuragi Rei must become is something that is beyond the comprehension of what normal humans can achieve. To understand what sort of 'TRUTH' Rei became is to understand about life, death, everything and nothing. Similar to obtaining enlightenment, to become absolute and abstract at the same time. A dark blue tunic with dark pants to represent the calmness and serenity of all, armed with silver armour to be the protection of pure, it was a standing beacon of hope. The pure white 'Heaven's Veil' draped over his shoulder, Katsuragi Rei was now ready to face the darkness. To reach it is to reach the 'Truth'. Not all the 'truths', but rather a single 'truth' that encompasses all others. The 'Truth' is a singular and a plural. It takes into account everything and nothing. It is the status quo.

"And to maintain that status quo, I will have to defeat you."

* * *

With his renewed strength, Rei drew his sword, Blue Gear, and found that it responded to his new abilities. Humming with new life, the sword now gave off a distinct blue glow. Along the blade a faint blue line etched itself along the length of the blade, giving off a sense of empowerment that Rei had never felt before. He looked up to Kou, who stood there, silently watching him. Why didn't she do anything all this while? Was she not able to do anything? No, it was not that she could not, she did not want to. Now that he was ready, Kou raised her scythe.

"Now... we will face one another... once more."

Kou muttered. Rei knew that this was what he had to do.

"... To save you, I must defeat you."

He answered, raising his sword.

"You can never... save what cannot be saved."

"That does not mean I cannot try."

The two rushed at one another, bringing their swords to clash against once another. The blow from their weapons hitting one another sent wild energies lashing out in all directions. The sheer pressure from the two sides caused the very ground they stood upon to crack and buckle beneath their feet. Kou spun her scythe, bringing the other end of her weapon up from underneath but Rei jumped back and avoided the attack, before rushing in once more, bringing his weapon to swing from below. Kou drew her sword with her free hand, deflecting the attack before bringing her scythe down at Rei. The cloth that Rei kept around his neck shot out and wrapped itself around the scythe, 'guiding' the trajectory of the scythe away from him.

If Kou was red, he was blue. If Kou was a raging fire of hate, then he would be the calming stream of acceptance. The two who held conflicting beliefs, the two who stood at opposite ends of the field. The two who will always come into conflict no matter how many times history repeats itself. The power of their blows was only matched by the magnitude of the beliefs they held. And with each blow, their thoughts, their words were conveyed like echoes in the wind without their mouths ever saying a single thing. Their convictions sounded throughout the Afterlife, heard by any and all.

**"Humans are not equal."**

_"And yet they are born as equals."_

**"There are limits to what each individual can achieve, and that creates disparity and a sense of unfairness."**

_"But they in turn can excel in something that others cannot."_

**"They will always long for that which they cannot have."**

_"And they will learn to cherish that which they already have."_

**"Humans have become corrupted."**

_"Yet they still are able to change for the better."_

**"Humans are creatures that learn to hate more than they learn to love."**

_"Yet when they learn to love they will love it whole heartedly."_

**"Humans will always see the bad, sometimes ignoring the good."**

_"But there are those who will fight to the end for that single strand of good."_

**"Humans brand anything that goes against their wishes as 'evil'."**

_"But in doing so they are able to produce good."_

**"They cannot accept differences."**

_"They can learn to understand such differences."_

**"Humans deserve the be wiped out."**

_"Yet they are still capable of earning respect."_

**"Humans are beings driven by their desires, they cannot change what they have become."**

_"Humans have a choice. They always did. They always will."_

The two traded blows constantly without pause, without rest. They moved in perfect synchronisation despite their desire to defeat the other. They were two sides of the same coin. Opposite yet the same. They fought one another because they were different. Yet they longed for one another because they were the same.

"The hatred of the World of men will never disappear."

Kou spoke with her own voice as she jumped back to herself distance.

"As long as man exist, as long as man had free will and the ability to think, they will always hate one another. They will always know that there will be differences, disparity and imbalance. From those, humans will give into their lust, devour themselves through gluttony, lose themselves to sloth, fuel themselves by greed, learn to envy, hide behind their pride and they will live off wrath. Humans will never accept differences. Because they cannot accept differences, they will destroy one another."

"Humans do not need to accept differences."

Rei countered, raising his sword again.

"They just need to understand that such differences can and must exist."

"They will never understand. They refuse to understand, like how the poor will never understand the rich. The privileged will never picture themselves in the shoes of the desperate."

Kou stabbed her scythe into the ground next to her as she drew her other sword. With her two swords in her hands, she raised them high and slashed them downwards into the ground, causing them to be stuck at an angle. Picking up her scythe she swung it horizontally across the space in-between her two swords, causing a red streak to appear in mid-air, like a tear in the very air.

"The good of one is the evil of another. The heroes of one are the villains of the other. The law of one is the crime of another. That is how the World of Man works, and that... is how it shall end."

Kou swung her scythe down across the red tear in the air, causing a second tear to vertically appear, combining with the first to form a red cross and split the air open. From the tear came forth swords. Thousands of millions of swords shot out like a hurricane, flying towards Rei. Rei jumped out of the way but the torrent of swords turned and gave chase. Like a snake made of millions of bladed weapons, the swords hounded after Rei, who constantly jumped out of the way of the attack, only to have it continue to change its direction and continue its pursuit, growing longer and longer as more blades continued to fly out of the tear in space.

"Each of these weapons is the physical accumulation and manifestation of a single person's hate, despair, sin and darkness. From past, to present, and future. As long as humans exist, these dark feelings will never disappear and so, I have at my disposal, an unlimited storm of blades (Wrath)."

He dodged the last attack but the torrent of blades turned sharply, attacking him from behind. Heaven's veil rose up and 'guided' the torrent away, scattering the blades that touched it all over the place, creating a large graveyard of blades. Some blades that were thrown off remained in mid-air, hovering as though suspended by strings, waiting. Watching. The wave of weapons stopped, rearing back like a snake, allowing Rei some rest. Heaven's veil had taken a heavy blow and it was starting to show, its pure white surface showing dullness and fade.

It was easy for the pure to be tainted but it was hard for the tainted to become pure. This was the forbidden fruit of Sin. This was despair, and like a plague it will only spread without pause or rest. 'Truth' was the same, if one is able to cast doubt on 'Truth', it will lose its strength. And doubt can only grow until it completely overwhelms 'Truth'. He did not have enough time to face Kou for a prolonged battle and he knew it. She knew it as well. She knew it because she too would not be able to hold out for long.

**"! ! !"**

Kou covered her mouth as she gagged and coughed on her own blood. The reason why the torrent of weapons stopped was because she lost her concentration.

_[Kurogane Kou receives 10000 damage]_

"Kou!"

Rei noticed her sudden drop in health but Kou raised her scythe at him, stopping him from taking another step towards her.

"... Do not... stop..."

Kou said, blood dripping from her lips.

"But-"

"We are... enemies... you must not show... any weakness... finish what you started... Katsuragi Rei..."

Kou warned him, but Rei felt that something was wrong. Why was Kou in pain? Why was she suffering for using her powers?

"Never stop... it is weakness... it is... death."

Kou suddenly swung her scythe once more and the torrent of weapons charged once again towards Rei. But he knew something was wrong. He grabbed Heaven's Veil and threw it at the torrent of weapons, scattering the torrent head-on as he raised his sword, Blue Gear, and stabbed its point straight in the middle of Heaven's Veil. The cloth was an item that did not allow anything to touch it for it was a pure conceptual weapon. As a conceptual weapon, it was born from pure thoughts and would not be harmed by physical harm though the darkness from the hate still affected it.

Rei's Blue Gear, the embodiment of human society's perfection, would serve to empower the Veil, and the cloth itself wrapped and coiled around the blade, giving the blade more power as Rei stabbed straight through the torrent. An explosive light burst forth from the cloth and blade, destroying the entire torrent and erasing away the cross rift that created and supplemented the torrent. The weapons that remained surrounded them on this platform. Kou dropped to her knees, clutching her chest as she coughed out more blood.

**"*cough* *cough* ! ! !"**

"Kou!"

But Kou would still not let him close to her. Releasing a wave of dark energy, Rei was forced to stay back as Kou struggled back to her feet.

"I... am running out... of time..."

She muttered, wiping the blood from her lips.

"Why... Why are you doing this? !"

Rei demanded, making Kou narrow her eyes at him.

"Because... I have to..."

"You are taking in all of the hate in the World! That is not something a human being is capable of doing!"

Rei knew that if Kou continued using that power, it will eventually consume her.

"You... are always... too kind."

Kou smiled, a rare sight for it was smile that contained sadness beyond any form of sadness he had seen before.

"... And that part about you... your kindness... your smile... your determination... Everything about you that I fell in love with... I have come to hate. Why? Why must this be so?"

"Hate? You came to hate?"

"I cannot bring myself to love what is the pure opposite of what I am, what my nature is... Solitude... Darkness... Despair... And so I have come to hate."

Kou's eyes showed her loneliness as well as her resolve. She will not stop, no matter what Rei did or said. The sky above them started to darken as dark clouds similar to the ones during the Apocalypse program started to gather. Kou looked up, her smile dropping.

"... It is now... too late... The end... is here."

Rei had never felt such darkness, such madness being gathered. It was far beyond anything he had known and far beyond what he could even imagine such darkness to be. Its power far outstrips the Apocalypse program to the point where it would not be an understatement to say it was the very essence of destruction. Inhuman screams and curses echoed in the winds, speaking not words but poison that made his ears hurt. The winds themselves were cold to his skin yet burned it like fire. The air was filled with a scent of sickly sweetness, the stench of death and decay. The sky became so dark that no light could ever break through and it would seem that the darkness itself had completely consumed the light.

"T-this is-"

"The darkness of the World that I had called forth."

Kou finished his sentence, closing her eyes.

"It will consume everything... it will not rest until all is gone... It is too late to change it... too late to stop it..."

"It is not too late!"

Rei shouted, making Kou open her eyes and look at him strangely.

"This is the accumulation of all of man's despair, all of his madness... you cannot hope to stop it... or stop me."

Kou said, but Rei would not give up. Not when he had come so far.

"Do not give up so easily! I swore that I will save you, no matter what!"

Rei's words seemed to take Kou by surprise, a look that Kou had not shown in a long time. Her eyes soften as that same sad smile crept up on her lips.

"... Can you really help me?"

She asked weakly. His resolve did not falter as he proudly stepped forward.

"I can and I will!"

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she lowered her head, preventing him from seeing her face. When she looked back up, her teared up eyes seemed to smile.

"... Then find me... find me in the darkness of madness and Sins... Find me... save me."

Without warning, Kou drew her twin swords from the ground, raising them high and-

**STAB**

She plunged both swords into her own abdomen, gritting her teeth as she endured the pain that went throughout her body.

"KOU!"

"The greatest... form of Wrath... the true path... of Sin..."

Kou muttered, coughing up more blood as she reached out and grabbed her scythe. She took it and threw it into the air.

"The greatest Sin... is violence... against ones own self."

Her scythe flew high before spinning back down towards the ground. Kou opened her arms wide and her scythe came down on her chest. But the moment it touched it, an explosion erupted from that point. The dark clouds from above came swirling down violently, being sucked into the point where Kou once stood. Like a vortex of pure energy the dark clouds went in a powerful circle, preventing Rei from getting any closer and soon, all of the clouds were drawn into the centre where Kou now stood. But unlike before, Kou was now completely different. She no longer wore the armour of wrath, now having mere pieces of ragged cloths covering parts of her body.

Belts and chains were tied all over her to keep the cloths in place and her shoes were thick and lined with spikes. Her eyes were black with blood red pupils. Her face covered with black lines that marked her face like spikes. Her long hair, once as dark as night, now was pure white as snow, the tips danced in the air like being played by the wind, each having a small visible amount of dark energy hanging there like decorations off a tree. Her skin was pale yet coursed with black veins. It was not Kurogane Kou, not the symbol of Wrath any longer. This was something else entirely. This was SIN.

_**[TRUE BOSS FIGHT]**_

_**[TRUE WRATH: SIN;CHAOS]**_

_**[Alignment: Pure Chaos]**_

_**[Level: Unknown**_

_**HP: Unknown**_

_**MP: Unknown**_

_**Strength: ?**_

_**Agility: ?**_

_**Endurance: ?**_

_**Luck: ?]**_

_**[Weapons List:**_

_**- Heaven's Key (Rank EXX)**_

_**- END (Rank ?)**_

* * *

A/N: Okay, I borrowed a HELL lot of stuff from Type Moon. They are one of my favourite companies and their stuff is just so complex and intricate yet still makes sense if you take time to read it all. Well, stick around for the final fight.


	58. Chapter 58

A/N: And... Oops. This chapter went WAAAYYYY too long. Really... I did not expect it to go that long. Too much stuff that needs to be written down. More philosophical stuff. If it hurts your brain, go outside, take a good whiff of sunshine and continue reading. Otherwise you will be left with more questions than answers.

This chapter explains a whole lot of things and serves to tie up the whole story. Enjoy!

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 58_

_Order and Chaos_

The thing called 'Sin;Chaos' was the pure opposite of Rei. While Katsuragi Rei was the embodiment of Order, Kou had used her own body and transformed herself into Chaos. No, not just transformed. Rei could no longer sense any part of the being that stood before him containing Kurogane Kou. It had completely consumed her. Only her body, despite being twisted and changed drastically, still held some resemblance to her. But within 'Sin;Chaos', Kurogane Kou was no more. Rei felt his heart sink. Why did Kou do this? Why would she go so far as to sacrifice herself to become Chaos? The greatest Sin is to commit violence to ones own self, suicide. No one who came to this Afterlife had committed suicide for those who did had rejected life completely, rejecting everything that life could be, could offer, and therefore they would close themselves off to the Afterlife. The Afterlife is, essentially, a place of human thoughts and memories, a place where humans go to in search for closure and meaning to their lives.

But people who rejected such lives would not be able to go to the Afterlife and therefore they cannot reincarnate. They would be 'lost' forever, their existence ended. But what if a person does so after they enter this World? It was different from those who would shoot themselves to escape the fear of being consumed by Shadows for that action was not a way to end ones own life, but rather used as a means of escape with the knowledge that they will revive. But what if a person who has lost all will and reason to live after they had gotten to the Afterlife? To give up on the hope of salvation and the reason they went to the Afterlife? This would produce a paradox, a contradiction that should not exist. To enter the Afterlife is to still cling onto life and hope. It is ingrained into their souls that they must live, they must find the answer to their lost lives. To lose that will to live is impossible.

But it did happen. Kou became that contradiction, and by using it, was able to summon within herself the ultimate form of darkness, Chaos. This being, Sin;Chaos, was not only made up of 'Chaos', but also contained the seven deadly Sins merged into one, forming the single power of 'SIN'. Where it walked, the floor turned black and withered, crumbling into dust. The air around it decayed and rotted. Its movements were followed by flames that singed and then froze. Its breath were filled with whispers of screams and curses. This was a being that defied the laws of natures, defied anything that was known as 'Truth'. Nothing made sense with it. Everything disagreed with it.

It was not normal in any form or sense and it was more than abnormal. Sin;Chaos was a 'non-entity', something that existed beyond the understanding of humans as humans lived within the confines of 'LAW', be it the law of man, or the law of nature. As Sin;Chaos was something that existed beyond those boundaries, it has become a 'non-entity'. Sin;Chaos raised its hand and multiple swords that were stuck in the ground flew up, joining some of the swords that were hovering in mid-air. Together they merged, melted into one another, forming one giant blade that towered above everything. So high was it that it seemed to be able to 'touch' the sky. It was a rectangular in shape, having not sharp point. Its body was translucent as though made from frosted glass. Etched upon its surface were multiple symbols that snaked across the entire blade. It had no hilt guard and the hilt itself was a mere handle wrapped in blood drenched cloth. Dangling by its end was a chain link made of black metal and within each link was a small crystal that emitted with such hate that it threatened to corrode the links that held them. The giant weapon floated down into Sin;Chaos's hand and Sin;Chaos lightly grabbed it.

_[Sin;Chaos equips END]_

The moment it touched the blade, more blades flew towards it and hovered behind Sin;Chaos, merging to become ten identical silver blades that had no hilts or guards, just simple blades, creating an image of wings behind Sin;Chaos.

_[Sin;Chaos equips Heaven's Keys]_

Raising its hand to Rei, the ten Heaven's keys flew straight at Rei.

"Tch!"

Rei raised Heaven's Veil to stop the blades, but instead, the weapons that flew at him went right through the veil. Rei was forced to jump to one side as the blades flew past him for some distance before disappearing, reappearing behind Sin;Chaos. Heaven's veil was suppose to prevent anything from harming him, but those blades called Heaven's keys were able to go through them. Were they 'conceptual' weapons as well? Or was it because they were part of 'Heaven' as well? By having a 'conceptual' weapon meant nothing could affect them but other 'concepts'. Even so 'conceptual' weapons are unable to interact with one another unless they were part of the same or similar 'concept'.

It was like having a theory on mathematics. It can only be challenged by other concepts in mathematics, and not by theories pertaining to another subject like History. In order for two theories to affect one another, they would have to be on the same field or at the very least, find middle ground where they both have influence. If this was the case, then it would explain why those blades, who carry the same name as Heaven's Veil, would be able to deny the power of the Veil. The Angel Program itself is a 'conceptual' ability, granting 'conceptual' powers to those who used it but by its own concept, it will corrupt those who used it through madness.

"... It's all or nothing."

Rei muttered to himself, looking at his sword. He was the embodiment of Order, he must face Sin;Chaos with all he is as they stood at the two ends of the field. He knew he might kill Kou and forever destroy her soul, but Sin;Chaos was something that must not be brought into existence. The longer it remained in existence, the more it shall destroy Order and Law. As Chaos, it will only bring everything to ruin and destruction and it will eventually destroy all existence. A non-entity will only destroy all entities. And unlike most shounen manga, Rei had no more power-ups, no comrades who would come to help him. It was just him, and Sin;Chaos.

He opened the ammunition catch of his hilt and inserted in a new magazine. He looked at his opponent and pulled the trigger. But he stayed his hand. The magazine rounds increased speed for the next swing. He pulled the trigger again. And again. and again. He pulled the trigger until the magazine was empty. He ejected the empty magazine and slotted in a fresh one, firing everything he had in it. He unlatched the upper catch and slotted in two larger rounds. The power rounds increased the power of his swing for a short period of time, but it was normal that the two types of power would not be a match with one another and refuse to fire.

But that under normal circumstances. He used his other hand and held it the guard of the sword's hilt guard. With a slight power, the hilt guard glowed and disappeared. This unleashed all limitations of his blade. He looked back at Sin;Chaos, who raised its sword, END, high into the air. He pulled the trigger once, feeling the immense power of the power shots vibrating through the blade.

"Here we go."

Rei took a deep breath, and disappeared. He reappeared right in-front of Sin;Chaos, his blade moving so fast that it was a blur. The blade cut through flesh, but instead of blood, a thick black liquor sprayed out from the cut. The black liquor seemed to ensnare Blue Gear but he used another power shot to break out. He disappeared and reappeared behind the bleeding Sin;Chaos, who had not even flinched from the first cut. He threw another slice and the same occurred. He disappeared and reappeared at another angle, cutting before disappearing and reappearing to repeat the process. Moving so fast his movements were a blur, his attacks continued without pause.

But something was wrong, each attack he did was slowly corrupting his blade and at the same time, his attacks did not even seem to make Sin;Chaos react once, much less flinch. It was as if his attacks were doing nothing at all. He reappeared some distance away from his opponent, having run out of the speed shots. But his opponent stood there, still not moving. The black liquor that was spilling from its wounds were like oil, thick and spilling everywhere. Sin;Chaos's body suddenly burst into flames, igniting all of the black liquor and turning Sin;Chaos into a tornado of fire that suddenly froze over into a solid block of ice before shattering.

Sin;Chaos stood there without a single scratch on its body. Sin;Chaos stepped forward, sword still raised, before bringing it down. For a weapon of its size, END moved as fast as any bladed weapon and Rei had to use a speed shot to dodge the attack, but in doing so, he saw that the weapon called END, was able to cleave through the air, causing it to turn the air black in its wake. It went through the thick walls and ground of the black tower they stood on like a knife through butter, corroding everything it touched. It was a plague, it was the void, it was the opposite of existence and everything it touched would be 'undone'. Broken back down into nothingness. The giant blade nearly went through the entire ground but Sin;Chaos suddenly turned the angle of the attack, now sweeping horizontally towards him.

Rei jumped up just in time to have the blade swing underneath him. He landed on the ground, now turned soft and wet like a decaying swamp. He looked up and saw Sin;Chaos swing END down from above. He immediately brought up Heaven's Veil, and this time, it worked against END. But then Heaven's Keys flew at him and forced him to dodge to one side, pulling Heaven's Veil away. If he wanted to fight Sin;Chaos and END, he had to deal with those ten Heaven's Keys first. Unlike Heaven's Veil, those ten Heaven's Keys were conceptual weapons that had their concepts in killing the enemy. He did not know just what sort of 'concept' they were based upon but their power to cut through Heaven's Veil was not to be taken lightly.

He readied his sword, inserting another magazine and emptying all speed shots into his strike. With this one strike, he had to charge straight from behind Sin;Chaos. He disappeared and reappeared right before the ten Heaven's Keys. He swung his blade at them but the ten Keys gathered together and parried his attack. The power of the blow sent a tremor into the ground but it wasn't enough to break even one of the Heaven's Keys. He jumped back just in time to avoid an attack from Sin;Chaos with END. It knows his objective and would probably go all out against him to prevent it. The only thing is-

"... It's so slow."

He stared at Sin;Chaos as it readied its blade at him. Though END may cut through the air much faster than how it looks, the user itself is rather slow. Perhaps it was due to the fact that it was formerly a non-entity and now that it has been brought into existence, it needed time to adjust? Or was it not compatible in the first place with being in existence? He had no idea and he did not really want to know. All he needed to know was that Sin;Chaos is slow. He rushed out at the ten Heaven's Keys once more, trying to take them out once more but history simply repeated itself as the ten floating blades merely came together and parried his attack. He had to rethink his strategy.

What was it that he could use to win? Heaven's Keys had to come together to defend just one of his attacks, so does that mean that they were weak individually? If so, how could he isolate them in order to destroy them? Use Heaven's Veil? But Heaven's Keys would simply go through the Veil, ignoring its ability to deflect anything. Just what were those Keys? Were they not normal conceptual weapons? He had to find a way to destroy them. But how? Then he remembered something. When he first sent out Heaven's Veil against the Keys, the Keys were aiming directly for the Veil before changing their trajectory slightly to aim for him. The Keys themselves were attracted to the Veil. He could use that attraction to his advantage. Sin;Chaos turned and faced him, raising its sword once more to strike down at him.

**_'Why do you still persist?'_**

A cold voice rasped throughout the air. Sin;Chaos did not open its mouth but its thoughts were ringing out like church bells. Loud, commanding, cold, vicious. Such a dark voice that spoke in a voice neither man nor woman nor beast. It was a voice of a million howls, screams and curses. It was something he knew. Something familiar that within him recognised.

**_'We have fought countless times, Order. Across an infinite number of possibilities, we have waged countless battles. Each time we fought, Chaos will always remain while Order perishes. Why do you believe in such futile efforts?'_**

"... Because man still deserves a chance."

**_'Man did nothing but sit idle and waste away with their petty squabbles. They see not how insignificant their bickering is for they see not anything beyond their own sight.'_**

"And they can still be able to do good and build for a better future."

**_'My powers are infinite. They draw upon the past, present and future of man. Humans can endure, but they will not change their selfishness. For that, I hold within me an infinite power. I will use that infinite power to break the cycle here, and with it, past, present and future of all existence shall crumble. Nothing can stop me for it is the inevitable fate that awaits all things. Yet you still stand before me, knowing this.'_**

"Because I can."

His answer seemed to make Sin;Chaos pause, slightly puzzled despite it not showing on its face.

**_'Fate cannot be changed, Order.'_**

Sin;Chaos started to bring down its blade on him.

"It can be changed... It does not take nations nor generations of people to move the World. All it takes... is the will of a single man."

This was his chance. He jumped aside to dodge the attack, leaving Sin;Chaos open. He charged forward and went straight for the ten floating blades. As expected, the blades rushed at him. He threw Heaven's veil at the flying blades and they flew at the Veil. Using this chance, he fired off a speed shot for one additional speed movement, disappearing and reappearing right behind the last Key and bringing his sword down on it. The Key cracked with his hit, flying off wildly into the air. The crack in the blade spread and grew until it covered the entire blade and it shattered into pieces.

"And all it takes... is for that man to take the first step. A single step in the right direction is all it takes to start it all. Though he may be alone, ostracised and forgotten, that man had taken the first step down a path not taken, so that others may follow."

**_'Foolish ideology.'_**

From the shattered pieces of the Key came a giant explosion that sent Rei flying backwards. Crashing into the ground, he quickly rolled back to his feet. Sin;Chaos stepped forward towards him.

**_'That single step may start a chain of events that will spiral out of control. Those who follow him may not hold the same agenda as him.'_**

"The path that he took may be the same as those who follow him behind, but it will be in the same direction."

Rei spat out a loose tooth. It did not even take a second for a new tooth to grow in its place. The power that flowed in this area was immense and being able to absorb it was one of the perks of being an NPC.

**_'The future will still be the same, Order. It has repeated itself for many cycles, and it will only repeat itself for many more. Man will always walk down the path of destruction and Chaos. It has been the same since time began. Humans are beings of Chaos. Where they go, I shall be there.'_**

"And yet humans will still build societies and law no matter how many cycles it has repeated."

Rei ran forward, aiming for the second Key.

**_'They only form such laws to define what Chaos is.'_**

Sin;Chaos tried to bring in END through a diagonal cut but Rei simply jumped towards the giant blade and slid underneath.

"Humans desire order in Chaos."

Rei jumped up and threw Heaven's Veil at the Keys, distracting them once again to go in to his second target. He cut through the second Key, shattering it as well.

**_'Chaos will never be gone, no matter what man desires. When man has grown stagnant in order, they will desire Chaos once more.'_**

The pieces of the second Key exploded and Rei was forced back once more.

"That cycle can be broken. It will be broken."

Rei rushed in to take on the third target.

**_'That is only a delusion to the masses.'_**

Sin;Chaos changed its tactics, letting the remaining Heaven's Keys to fly high into the air and shoot down from above one at a time. Rei was forced to dodge each attack but before he could get his footing back and attack the Key, a second would come flying straight down while the first dislodged itself from the ground and went back up into the air.

**_'War, famine, disease, distrust, ignorance. Man's so-called society is crumbling underneath them. The only way for humans to survive is to strip themselves of free will. To give up their freedom and conform to a single idea. But they will never allow it. Not while they posses ideals and pride. They will continue to fight one another until they are all dead. That is Chaos. That is humans true nature.'_**

"Humans can learn to change."

Rei jumped to avoid the falling blade and just as the second blade was coming down, he readied his sword, and attacked the second blade. The two weapons clashed with one another, sparks flying as edge went against edge.

**_'Humans had many chances to learn. They had gone through many wars, many conflicts throughout their history. Yet they fail to learn anything from each battle. They fail to see that the more they fight, the closer they bring themselves to total destruction. Humans, as a species, are a failure. Humans, as a race, thrive through wars. Humans, on the whole, will never learn. For pride, for power, for greed, for their own ego. Humans are so predictable. Behind the lies of peace and cooperation, they yearn for Chaos.'_**

"There are humans who will do everything they can to make the World better."

Rei pushed harder and made the third Heaven's Key shatter.

**_'There is no such thing as charity. They give as they please in order to satisfy their ego, to ease their guilty conscience. But what are trying to achieve? They know their words will never change the World. They know that others do not listen to their ways. So they force it upon others. Rather than throw weapons of fire and metal, they throw weapons of guilt and words. They are just like all others. Their actions brought conflict to the World and like all other conflicts, they only serve to feed me... and their own demise.'_**

The third key exploded and Rei had to gain distance once again.

"Humans learned not to be bound by conflict. They have learned how to live cohesively."

**_'Is that the pretty lie that they tell themselves? That they can learn to live with tolerance? That is a mere façade The word itself shows how humans react. To 'tolerate' is not to accept another. It is to simply put up with it. You blind yourself to such ideals, Order, to the point it sickens me. Tell me, Order, if man desires to live together cohesively, if they so want to live without Chaos, why do they live differently? Why do they live and divide themselves with fences and borders, claiming 'land' and 'home'? Why create languages that differ so vastly? Why create 'countries'? They do not trust one another, they do not tolerate one another. They live in a lie called 'life'.'_**

To Rei, it did not matter what Sin;Chaos thought or said. He and it were different from the beginning and to try to counter every one of its arguments would be futile and endless. But... it was not Sin;Chaos he had to argue with. It was Kou. Though Kou's essence was no longer detectable in Sin;Chaos, he believed in her will and tenacity to live. What he was doing was weakening Sin;Chaos enough to get his words through to Kou. At heart of Sin;Chaos was still Kou's beliefs of the World. An 'empty' existence like Kou was the source of Sin;Chaos. He promised that he would find her, that he would save her. No matter what, he will fulfil that promise. He readied his sword and charged forward once more at Sin;Chaos, who raised the remaining Keys into the air, letting them dance around and throw them at random towards him.

**_'Humans who have reached the point of realisation are few and they know within themselves that they are too powerless to stop the tides of destruction. Most humans do not have time to waste around thinking about their lives and situations. They are forced by society, by the reality of living within societies that require them to work and slave away for the sake of money. They do not have time to think critically about politics, about philosophy, about how the World is ending. All they think about is the small World that they can see. They do not see the consequences of actions taken by others, and simply blindly believe the lies of others that is told to them. They believe wild speculations when their emotions are flared, and will turn blind eyes to all other possibilities. Only those who have money, resources and time can ponder of such things, but the ones who are unable to afford such luxuries will never listen nor believe those who have, because those who cannot afford such luxuries do not have time to listen and think of such things. Tell me, Order, if these are not proof of humans being vile and disgusting, what is?'_**

"I will not deny that humans are quick to jump to conclusions, and that they are stubborn in their views."

Rei jumped to avoid another attack before pulling the trigger on Blue Gear and disappearing and reappearing next to one of the Keys in mid-air, bringing his sword down through it and shattering it.

"But that is only because humans constantly seek to know more. They do not want to live in constant doubt and uncertainty."

**_'It only proves their ignorance.'_**

The pieces of the Key exploded and Rei had to back up. Sin;Chaos raised END and tried to swing it down at him but Rei used his speed shot to avoid that attack, at the cost of the giant sword cutting through the tower again.

**_'For how long has man lived through eras of falsehood? Of false claims of right and justice? How many innocents were condemned to die for the sake of 'justice' that were fabricated by the few? Let me post a question for you, Order, to see if you can still remain as righteous as you are now. Assumption: All outcomes are absolute. Let us say one country had stolen an ancient treasure of another years ago but has hidden it for a long time under time and dust. If this treasure is returned, it will cause mayhem and destruction. It will cause the collapse of Worlds and Countries and millions will die. But still, it is an important treasure to millions in World. Justice demands that the treasure be revealed and returned, or should it remain hidden and unknown for all eternity, to ensure that the future destruction of the World is secured?'_**

He had no answer as he dodged more attacks to charge at the remaining Keys.

**_'Assumption: All outcomes are absolute. If there was one absolute evil that must be destroyed, yet it exists to protect the good of millions, would you be able to ignore it? Or would you kill it for the sake of justice and kill the lives the millions of innocent that the evil protects?'_**

A question that had no real answer.

**_'Assumption: All outcomes are absolute. If there was an evil that justice cannot defeat, what will you do? What would humans do?'_**

"... Because humans are able to, they will become evil to defeat that evil."

**_'And so evil shall remain.'_**

"But the definition of 'Good' and 'Evil' are made by man."

Rei swung his blade and hit not one, but two of the Keys, before pulling the trigger and unleashing a power shot, breaking both keys in one go.

"You said so yourself, that man will decide what is good and what is evil. Man's perception of justice has changed over the years and across nations. However they do so because each human is unique. Each of them are an individual. They have to decide what is justice and what is evil in order to survive, in order to progress in life and carry on as a species."

**_'The so-called 'justice' of individuals has led to the endless conflicts across time. One man's justice is another man's crime.'_**

The two Keys exploded but Rei was already out of their blast radius by then. Those words were by Kou. He knew Kou was still within Sin;Chaos.

"That does not eliminate the possibility of a justice where all can agree upon, despite holding onto their own beliefs."

**_'Such a compromise is a fatal flaw to the sense of individuality. Are you able to pass evil off as justice? Humans themselves have blurred the lines of both evil and justice. They use 'evil' as a form of 'justice', for the 'sake of the greater good', as they say. 'An eye for an eye' makes no sense in justice yet it is the basis of justice. A man who had been wronged by evil is unable to seek justice on his own, but must rely on a 'system' of justice to bring evil to justice? In the end, it still lies in the hands of man, albeit another man, to decide the fate of evil. The third party, though unrelated to the deed that had been performed, has to be dragged in and will be the one with blood of his hands to rid of evil. He became 'evil', to kill the 'evil' of a man who seeks justice, in doing so, he becomes 'justice'. But blood is blood. Who is he to perform that act of 'justice'?'_**

"He is the 'impartial', the judge. Why would he become evil to kill 'evil'?"

**_'Because to humans, the act of killing and anything associated with 'death' is 'evil'. If this judge were to condemn 'evil', then he would have to be 'evil' to end the life of another. Evil still remains. If the judge were to see the 'evil' as 'innocent', the man who had been wronged will refuse to accept the judgement due to his stubbornness and ignorance, which are both blinded by rage, and will become 'evil' in order to enact his own 'justice'. Evil still remains.'_**

"That goes back to an earlier statement, if there was an evil that justice cannot defeat, then what would humans do? By doing so, Evil will always remain no matter what. To kill is to be evil. To result in death is to be evil. If that were the case, then why is it 'bad' to be 'evil'?"

Sin;Chaos's swing went slightly off course.

**_'You are contradicting your nature, Order.'_**

"I have not contradicted anything. Assumption: All outcomes are absolute. When Justice is forced to stain its hand in evil, it is still Justice covered with a veil called evil. And just as how Justice can be turned easily to evil, so can evil turn into Justice."

**_'Impossible statement.'_**

"Not impossible."

Rei slid across the floor to dodge all of the attacks that came at him, grabbing one of the many swords still stuck in the ground from Kou's attack with Wrath, and threw it at the Keys. While the sword did not manage to shatter another Key, it made one of the Keys fly off course. Rei used this and reappeared next to it, cutting through it before jumping away to avoid the inevitable explosion.

"It is not irrational for evil to kill another evil if that second evil is preventing the first from doing what it wants. In this instance, though the evil is doing what it must to achieve its goals, it still becomes justice to eradicate another evil. Not all actions of man are evil in the long run. Should you hide information from the public to prevent wide-spread panic? Or should you tell the truth to them because they want to know? Do you listen to the people and shut down your projects because they do not like it? Or do you carry on because you know that the project will provide much more for the people in the future? Must you sacrifice all the freedom you have for more security?

Humans want to see things as simple. That 'A' must equal to 'B'. But they know that 'A' can also be equal to 'C' or 'D'. Anything and everything that man does is up to their own perception of reality. I will admit, people are often blinded by emotion and caught up in the spur of the moment that they will believe just about anything. They blind themselves to the consequences of actions and only want to see immediate results. I will admit that humans have learned to use this emotion to influence other humans to join their cause, to get others to agree with their views because the opportune moment arrived for them to manipulate others. But all of that and more are simply what man is."

**_'Order... you agree to my statements.'_**

"I agree to what is right."

Sin;Chaos seemed to hesitate. He used this chance to aim for the last three Keys. Sin;Chaos tried to get the Keys to fly about in random but Rei would not be stopped.

**_'Of the countless cycles we went through, you never agreed with me once, Order. You had always stood as my equal, my opposite. This is not what is suppose to happen. You... you are not Order. What are you?'_**

"I never said I was 'Order'."

Rei used this moment of hesitation and sliced through another Key.

"Like how you are both Sin and Chaos, I have within me Order and Law. But I am more than that. Weren't you paying attention before?"

Sin;Chaos seemed to understand now as it took a step back away from Rei.

**_'No... It cannot be... you cannot be here... You... you are 'TRUTH'.'_**

* * *

"I never said I made the ultimate 'Good'."

Otonashi smiled.

"I only said I made something that would transcend all. I made 'TRUTH'. 'TRUTH' is neither good, nor evil. 'TRUTH' is what you make of it. It is the sole overriding force of everything. At times it can be the salvation for corruption, it can heal and save lives and bring the wicked to justice. But at other times, it can be harsh and unforgiving; a dark sword that will cut away any ray of hope. They often say that 'TRUTH' is the first victim in war. I beg to disagree. 'TRUTH' is not the first victim. It the one who has to create such a 'lie' for he knows the 'TRUTH' yet must bear the burden of both it and the 'lie' he created. For what reasons do humans fabricate lies and hide truth? If it would only cause to hinder what they had planned.

What if the lie that they created was meant to protect millions? Must the truth still be known? Leaders of men must know that society is built upon a fragile system that is so intricate and delicate that if one part fails, the rest will fall like a house of cards. One misstep, one wrong turn, and the modern World as we know will collapse. There are some who see this and will remain silent in order to maintain the stability that is their World. Others will try to reveal it to the masses, spreading chaos like a wild fire. Why? Because man does not wish for stagnation Humans thrive in the moment. Wars, though harsh and destructive, has more than one way revolutionised technology. It killed millions yet paved the way for man reach the stars.

Nothing is inherently good or evil. 'TRUTH' is no exception. When people lie, they do it for a reason. The reason may be for the good of many, or for the good of that one person. 'TRUTH' is not the first victim. It never is. Because 'TRUTH' is what you make of it. If there was a lie that everyone in the World believed were true, would it still be a lie? For thousands of years, people believed that the Sun revolved around the Earth. To them, it was the TRUTH. Now we know it as a lie but for years that was the TRUTH.

If we think of a magic trick, we know it is an illusion and people will often try to figure out how it works. Yet while we know in TRUTH that there is a trick, we still want to believe in the 'lie' that is the trick. Because in the 'lie', we are able to enjoy ourselves and believe in something that is exciting Why destroy a 'lie' that we all created that has a purpose? TRUTH will change its shape and form over the years. It will shift from benevolent and forgiving, to harsh and murderous. Those who defend a TRUTH is neither right nor wrong, so long as he sole heartedly believes in it. TRUTH is a tool, it is a power and it will serve to end this madness once and for all. After all, who doesn't want the TRUTH?"

* * *

**_'No... 'TRUTH' is not suppose to be here.'_**

The voice of Sin;Chaos did not sound panicked, nor did it show on its face, but the words that it spoke had said everything. Sin;Chaos was afraid. This turn of events was not what it had expected.

"Yet I stand here before you."

Rei readied his sword at the remaining two Keys.

**_'This is a battle between Order and Chaos. TRUTH has no say in this matter.'_**

"I have all the say in this. You, Chaos, are not suppose to be here."

Sin;Chaos took another step back.

**_'You will not deny me, TRUTH. You cannot.'_**

The two remaining Keys flew straight at Rei. Flipping his sword in hand to a back-handed stance, Rei swung his blade multiple times, slicing the two remaining blades into pieces.

"No, I cannot. For 'seeing is believing', but what I said was that you are 'not suppose' to be here. Your existence is not suppose to be here. As Chaos, you have no definitive form."

**_'What are you trying say?'_**

"I had thought it was weird. Why did Kou go through all of this? Why did agree to help me stop the program and then later fight me? Why did she say she loved me and yet kill herself?"

Rei walked towards Sin;Chaos dangerously, making it shift nervously back.

**_'This vessel did as was created, its purpose was to summon me.'_**

"Exactly, she summoned you here, using her own body and soul as the catalyst. But you got one thing wrong, Chaos. Kou was never 'created' for your purpose. She was never part of your 'plan' or 'schemes' to destroy existence. Because 'plans' and 'schemes' are under the jurisdiction of 'Order'. Which you are not."

**_'Silence.'_**

Sin;Chaos swung its sword at Rei, who used his own sword, wrapped by Heaven's Veil, to block it. Sin;Chaos was weakened severely and its attacks no longer held the ultimate power it once had.

"Kou never strayed from her goals. She never broke her promises. She summoned you here using all of the darkness and madness in this Afterlife, but it was not enough, so she drew power from the real life as well. Yes, she summoned you here, but it was not for you to destroy everything."

**_'No... SILENCE.'_**

"She summoned you here, so that I can destroy you once and for all."

**_'NO. CHAOS CANNOT BE DESTROYED.'_**

Sin;Chaos tried to force END to cut through Rei. However END was not a sword that can defeat Blue Gear. Musashi had created Blue Gear as a form of perfection. To correct the mistake that he made. Kou's ultimate weapon, manifested by Sin;Chaos, is a sword that must never be drawn for it brings about disaster. Blue Gear is a blade that must never be sheathed for it is a blade whose edge protects life.

"You are right. Chaos cannot be destroyed."

Rei pulled the trigger, unleashing the power shot and his sword cleaved through END cleanly, the long end of the blade falling off the edge of the dark tower and disappearing into orbs of light.

"But it can be banished."

Swinging his sword, Rei pointed his blade at Sin;Chaos.

"It is time for this mad and long story to end."

Rei charged at Sin;Chaos, who raised what was left of END at Rei and charged at Rei as well.

**_'YOU WILL NOT WIN TRUTH. I WILL EMERGE AS THE VICTOR NO MATTER HOW MANY CYCLES PASS.'_**

Rei clashed with Sin;Chaos, but he twisted his body, releasing Blue Gear from his right hand. As he turned his body, his left hand grabbed his sword, switching it to a back-handed stance as his foot slammed into the ground, gaining traction.

**[Shin-Shin-gi (True God skill), Tenge Mumei (Nameless under Heaven)]**

With one strike, Rei cut through, using Heaven's Veil to guide his blade. A skill that dictates that no one is above one another. A skill that shows all man is equal as long as they live under the same sky, that their individual lives and problems were insignificant compared to the vastness of all. The great equaliser. It was a skill that would go through the darkness and madness of the Afterlife. It was a skill that would sever the Program at its core and destroy any impurities. It was a skill, that could kill a God.

_[Sin;Chaos receives damage]_

_[Sin;Chaos is defeated]_

_**'I... will not... be... denied...'**_

* * *

The last cry of Sin;Chaos filled the air as dark vapours started to seep out of its body. The vapours rose in the air towards the sky before changing into orbs of gentle light and disappear towards the sky. The body of Sin;Chaos then collapsed, causing Rei to run over and pick up the fading body in his arms. Despite the dark stains of taint and the black blood that smeared her, it was undoubted Kurogane Kou who lay in his arms. Her eyes looked at him with a soft comfort that he never knew she could show. No, she did show it before, but it was lost.

"You... found... me..."

Kou said with a smile.

"I told you I would."

Rei replied, forcing a smile on his own face.

"Yes... you did..."

Kou nodded and closed her eyes.

"And so... it... is over..."

Kou seemed to be satisfied. Her body starting to crumble away like dust. Her weight being lighter and lighter as more vapours were escaping her body.

"It is..."

Rei trailed off. The two simply sat there in silence. There was so much they want to say to one another, so much that they wanted to do. But time would not permit them. Words would not be spoken. The times they spent together flowed through their minds.

From the first time they met in the darkness when Kou was swallowed by a Shadow years ago,

the battle they fought against one another on the rooftop on EX Day,

the moment right after where he reappeared as a different person,

the accidental meeting in baths,

the day the two of them saw one another in that empty classroom where Kou sang to him,

the days after where they met one another several times.

Such days were a luxury, were like precious gems that seem to shine brightly and fondly and yet their distance would forever be too far to reach for them again.

"Why... why did you have to do all of this, Kou?"

Rei finally asked, his body shaking as he tried to hold back his tears, his emotions.

"You know why... Don't you?"

Kou merely answered with another question and a smile.

"You... knew that even if we stopped the Program, the taint in this World was too great. The only way was to force all of the darkness to congregate in one place and eliminate them."

Kou nodded to his answer.

"Correct... ten points."

"But why did it have to be you? ! Why did you have to sacrifice yourself for this? !"

"Because... it is the only way."

Kou said, closing her eyes.

"The taint is... in all humans... it is a natural part of our lives... humans are made of both good... and bad... light... and darkness... When that darkness becomes too strong... we despair. When we die in despair... we regret... and regret only serves to drag us further down into the darkness... Humans are the only things that can hold onto regrets... because we are the ones who created them."

"But that does not mean you had to be the one!"

Kou shook her head slowly.

"No... It has to be me... I am sure you remember... who I am... What I am... I am Kurogane Kou... The empty Soul... In life I had no goals... no aspirations... I was made as a shadow of my brother... To be someone else but myself... In death... I became Wrath, the purest of all Sins... being the purest meant all taint can be controlled and pulled towards it... An empty vessel of Wrath... This was planned... it was all meant to happen..."

"'Planned'? What do you mean-"

Rei stopped mid-sentence. This was odd. This entire situation was odd. Why was Kurogane Kou brought into this World? As an NPC with administrative rights, he accessed Kou's data and it was stated that she died with the regret of not gaining recognition from her mother. But it was weird. Why did she need recognition from her mother? And the sudden appearance of Angels. Angels were never meant to appear, they were unnatural even by the entire programming of the Angel Program. Why was Kurogane Kei brought to this World as well? Why was Kou made into Wrath? She became Wrath after losing Fudou Akira to the Angels. Angels that appeared almost too coincidentally.

Why was he brought into existence? Why was he created? Merely because his creator, Otonashi, was fooling around with the Program? Trying to play God? No... it was not right. Kou's words... 'this was all planned'. Someone planned the entire War, planned the entire battles, the corruptions, the fall of the SSS2. Someone planned it all. Someone who knew how and where the pieces would move across the chess board. Someone who knew how to manipulate and direct people to do their bidding. It was someone who sat behind everything in the shadows.

"... Otonashi... Yuzuru."

* * *

"It was hard, you know, to get everything in just the right position."

He smiled, snapping his fingers and having a chair appear out of thin air. He sat down on the chair and crossed his legs as he smiled to the two who stood before him. Kamiya Yuzuru and Tachibana Kanade.

"You did all of this. You planned this from the very beginning."

Kamiya angrily said, pointing his finger at his other half accusingly. Otonashi smiled, resting his head against his hand and snapping his fingers again. Amagami Futayo, the Kanade look-a-like, walked over to his side and poured a cup of tea, handing it to Otonashi quietly.

"Maybe I did. Maybe I didn't."

"Don't play games with us."

Kamiya glared angrily.

"Struck a nerve, have I? Well, no matter. It will not matter soon enough."

Otonashi replied, taking a sip from his cup.

"You keep avoiding the question."

Kamiya said, and Otonashi smiled.

"Makes me more mysterious, doesn't it?"

"Makes you look like an idiot."

"That hurt my feelings, you know."

"As if."

Otonashi smiled devilishly at Kamiya, obviously having fun at the other's expense.

"You made that girl, Kurogane Kou, the vessel to absorb this entire World's regrets and despair, and had your NPC, Katsuragi Rei, to infiltrate the SSS2 in order to grow and gain enough power to defeat the gathered darkness."

Kamiya said.

"Did I? Sounds like a whole lot of trouble just to do that."

Otonashi answered innocently despite his face saying otherwise.

"You-"

"Now now, calm yourself down and maybe have a nice cup of tea?"

Otonashi pointed in front of himself where two more chairs appeared out of nowhere.

"Don't give me this crap!"

Kamiya angrily shouted, pushing the chair aside. Otonashi silently looked at Kamiya, sipping on his tea before closing his eyes.

"... Let us say, for the sake of your argument, that I did engineer all of this. Let us say that I did drag the Kurogane twins into this World. Kurogane Kei's soul was pure and strong, so it would serve to be the best candidate for my NPC, Katsuragi Rei. Kurogane Kou, the complete opposite, is the perfect vessel to attract and contain all of the darkness in this World. Let us say that I engineered the entire War of the SSS2, the rising of the Angel NPCs, the murder of Kurogane Kou's lover, Fudou Akira, in-front of her, all simply to make Kou the ultimate vessel. Let us say that I also made my NPC, Katsuragi Rei, infiltrate the SSS2 in order to learn and grow with the soul of Kurogane Kei. Make him strong enough to face the darkness in the final battle. Let us say I did all this... What are you going to do about it when it has already ended?"

At this, Kamiya became enraged.

"WHY YOU-"

He was held back by Kanade but Otonashi did not even seem to flinch from Kamiya's outburst.

"DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY LIVES WERE LOST IN YOUR MEDDLING GAMES? ! HOW MANY PEOPLE HAD DISAPPEARED AND LOST THEMSELVES IN DESPAIR BECAUSE OF YOU? ! AND TO MAKE A YOUNG GIRL LIKE KUROGANE KOU TO BE YOUR SACRIFICIAL LAMB! WHAT ARE YOU THINKING? !"

**BANG**

Otonashi took his fist and slammed it down hard on the chair's arm. Otonashi's face turned sour and dark, glaring menacingly at Kamiya.

"Does it LOOK like a GAME to you?"

Otonashi growled at Kamiya.

"Do you THINK that those lives lost were wanted? That I enjoy ending the lives of those people? I may have been trapped in this World for so long that I may be a little short of a few screws but I am still OTONASHI YUZURU. Every death is another reason why I must complete what I had started. I have come too far to stop half way. If I had to repeat everything, I will not change a single thing. I will not let this World or any other be consumed by hate and despair just because some people have to die to set things right."

Otonashi leaned back in his chair, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"... That girl... will never be able to pass on... she contained too much regrets, too much despair within her that it altered her very existence. She cannot pass on as a normal human soul any longer."

"You-"

"I had no choice... Either her... or the entire World will be consumed by darkness... Save one... or save the billions... It was an easy choice to make."

Otonashi smiled sadly at his own words, showing the weight of his own decisions wearing him down.

"But after all of this... I realised that I had underestimated four things."

"Four?"

"... When I brought Kurogane Kei's soul to this World, I had expected to only draw upon the essence of the Soul, not the entire person."

Otonashi explained.

"Kurogane Kei is not like most people. He is extremely strong in will and mind, so much so that it is actually very irritating. Luckily for me, he was willing to go along with my plans. Because he lacks the essence of his own soul, he cannot enter this Afterlife and is trapped in the limbo World that I had created. For him, everything was for his sister."

"Kurogane Kou?"

Otonashi nodded.

"Yes... her. She is the second one I had underestimated. Her power and cunning that she had within her far exceeded anything I was capable of predicting. Her ferocity nearly destroyed my plans when she took on her position as the Sixth Division head. I had to intervene and therefore I sent Rei, who was not yet ready to infiltrate the SSS2, to confront her. It was a gamble, whether she would ally herself with Rei or not. Kou is not a dumb girl... she is clever... too clever. In the end, she did go along with my plans willingly... which was the third thing I had underestimated."

"What is that?"

"... Love."

Otonashi said, making Kamiya somewhat surprised.

"Love?"

"Yes... Love. I had believed it to be a simple emotion, driven by basic needs of humans... But it turned out I was wrong... sorely wrong. I had believed that because an Angel was the one who took Akira away from Kou, that Kou would forever vow to kill all Angels... but she did not kill Rei. No matter what, she did not turn her blade against him after she agreed to my plans. It soon became apparent that she was starting to have feelings for Rei. It may have started out as a certain 'nostalgic' feeling as Rei held onto her brother's soul, but it grew into something... more."

"And the last thing you underestimated?"

"... My own creation. Katsuragi Rei."

* * *

"My... father... was the cause of all this?"

Rei felt betrayed, used, angry, but Kou reached out to his face, her hand now translucent as it started to fade away.

"There is no need... to be angry..."

"But-"

Kou simply shook her head.

"This is all... according to plan..."

"You knew all of this would happen... and yet still went along with it?"

Rei did not understand why she would do this.

"Because... the darkness is not... something that must outweigh... the light... Chaos will return... like the many cycles before... the fight between Order... and Chaos... will repeat."

He knew it to be true as well. Sin;Chaos had said it as well, that it had fought with Order for countless cycles. But because it was not just Chaos, but Sin and Chaos combined, Order itself would not be enough to defeat it. He had to become more than Order to defeat it.

"... It was all... suppose to happen... That man... knew that Chaos... would be too strong... for Order... to defeat... so he made Order... become something else.. Everything... was to lead up... to this."

Rei understood. He understood, but still did not want to accept. Why must it be Kou? Why choose Kou? Kou felt something hit her face. She looked up and saw... tears.

"... Why... are you... crying?"

Kou asked.

"... It's... it's because I couldn't save you."

Rei said, unable to hold back his emotions.

"I said that I would definitely save you... but in the end I couldn't do anything."

The struggles that Rei faced, the hurdles before him. He had defeat Sin;Chaos to save existence, but in doing so, he condemned Kou to disappear. His actions, though directed by Otonashi, were the indirect cause of Kou's demise.

"I... I failed... I failed myself... I failed Kei... I failed you."

Kou lay there in his arms, letting his tears fall onto her face. She reached up and wiped away his tears gently.

"You saved... the World... not many can... say that."

"But to save it I had to lose you! What is the point of saving it all if you cannot be saved? ! I was a simple NPC, just a by-product of a mad man experimenting with a program with powers beyond his own... yet I was given a soul... I learned to live... I learned to love... But then the love that I learned must be torn away from me... killed by my own hands... is he trying to torment me? Is he trying to punish me? WHY? ! WHY MUST I GO THROUGH THIS PAIN! THIS AGONY? ! IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER IF I DIDN'T FEEL ANYTHING! IF I WERE JUST A SIMPLE NPC!"

Kou silently listened to his cries, to his frustrations. She knew his thoughts, his pain, his suffering. She knew it all because she too, at one point, had gone through the same thing. But then he came to her. He gave back what she had lost. He was the one who brought back the light into her dark life.

"... It is better... to have loved... and lost... then to have never loved... at all."

Kou said.

"For once... you have loved... you will understand... the value of time... of life... of pain... of suffering... To love... and understand... to prevent others from... making the same mistake... as before... that is... what 'he'... your father... wanted you... to learn."

Kou brushed aside his bangs, looking straight into his bright blue eyes.

"No sacrifice... is too great... if the World... is consumed... then nothing... will matter. No matter what... you must not... despair... do not regret... the choices you make... for those choices... are the ones that made you... into what you are now... And I... chose to love... for the one... who is holding me... now. "

Kou smiled at him.

"... I promised you a song... didn't I?"

Kou closed her eyes as she started to hum. A soft tune, a melody that danced in the air gently, being played around by the winds as the entire Afterlife seemed to resonate with the song. A song that made everything seem calm and serene. A song of emotions. Of colours. Of love.

_[Kimi ga Tame]_

_[Singer: Suara]_

_Kimi no hitomi ni utsuru Watashi wa nani iro desuka_

_Aka fukaki nozomu nara Watasou hi no hikari wo_

**_[Reflected in your eyes, what colour am I?_**

**_If you wish for a deep red, then I shall give you the light of the sun.]_**

_Kanashimi ga afure Mabuta tojimashita_

_Koboreta shizuku wa Kokoro ni shimi yuku_

**_[As sadness overflowed, I closed my eyelids._**

**_The drops that fall stain my heart.]_**

_Iki wataru nami wa Yowaku majiemasu_

_Todoke shi yurikago Nemuri wo sasou_

**_[The waves that spread weakly mix together_**

**_And send you off to sleep in a cradle.]_**

_Yume ni natsukashi Omokage wo sagasu_

_Te wo nobashi Tsuyoku Dakishimetaku naru ha-_

**_[In my dreams, I search for that nostalgic trace of a memory._**

**_And then I begin to want to reach my hand and embrace you tightly. Ah...]_**

_Kimi no hitomi ni utsuru Watashi wa nani iro desuka_

_Ai fukaki nozomu nara Watasou takaki sora wo_

**_[Reflected in your eyes, what colour am I?_**

**_If you wish for a deep indigo, then I shall give you the sky high above.]_**

_Yorokobi ga afure Meguri aimashita_

_Kobore otsu hohoemi Wakare wo kakusu_

**_[As happiness overflowed, we met by chance._**

**_A smile that fades in hides a farewell.]_**

_Hito wa itsushika kuchi hateru keredo_

_Uta to nari katari tsugarete yuku deshou ha-_

**_[People will someday meet their ruin, but_**

**_They will become a song and be spoken of throughout time. Ah...]_**

_Kimi no hitomi ni utsuru Watashi wa nani iro desuka_

_Ryoku fukaki nozomu nara Watasou kono daichi wo_

**_[Reflected in your eyes, what colour am I?_**

**_If you wish for a deep green, then I shall give you the very earth.]_**

_Moroku hakanagena mono yo Tsuyoku utsukushiki mono yo Aru ga mama ha-_

**_[Oh, fragile, fleeting ones. Oh, strong, beautiful ones. Be as you are. Ah...]_**

_Kimi no hitomi ni utsuru Watashi wa nani iro desuka_

_Yasuragi wo oboeta nara Soko ni watashi wa iru_

**_[Reflected in your eyes, what colour am I?_**

**_If you remember peace, then I shall be there.]_**

_Kimi no hitomi ni utsuru Watashi wa nani iro desuka_

_Ura fukaki nozomu nara Watasou kono omoi wo_

_Watasou Kono subete wo_

**_[Reflected in your eyes, what colour am I?_**

**_If you wish for the deep past, then I shall give you my feelings._**

**_Then I shall give you everything of me.]_**

* * *

The last orb of light floated up to the sky and faded away. He sat there, not moving an inch, his hands grasping the cold air. Was this how it was suppose to end? It was too unfair. Too much for him to bear. And yet she told him not to despair. But how could he not? This pain in his chest was threatening to rip his heart apart. The pain of loss, the pain of despair. His mind went blank. His mouth opened and screamed. But no sound ever came out. He screamed till his lungs nearly tore themselves apart. He screamed so much that his throat almost bled. He wanted to scream so that the whole World would know his grief. He wanted all to suffer as he did, to have everyone go through the same pain. But... he didn't. He did not want to taint the World dark. He did not want to waste what he and Kou had fought so hard to achieve

"And that is important to remember what you have fought so hard for."

A voice from behind said. He turned and saw the face of someone who should not be here.

"Kuro... gane... Kei?"

The playful face of the elder Kurogane twin smiled at him.

"Good work, Rei. It's been a long and tiring fight, hasn't it?"

"But-... how?"

Rei was confused as to how Kei could be in the Afterlife if he had no soul?

"Perhaps you were not paying attention to your surroundings?"

Kei asked, pointing upwards. Rei looked around and saw that he was no longer at the top of the dark tower. Rather, they were in the 'white World'. The World where he and his two siblings were first created.

"I had you isolated and pulled back into this World the moment you went all nuts and screaming like a German opera singer. You could have made a whole lot of things go wrong with that scream."

Kei explained, walking towards Rei.

"You almost went ahead and created Chaos part two, you know?"

"I..."

Rei did not know what to say. He had nothing to say. At that moment, two more people appeared in the 'white World'. Both were familiar to him.

"Good job, Rei."

"... Father."

Otonashi Yuzuru smiled as he walked over to where Kei and him were. Following behind him was Amagami Futayo, one of the two berserk NPCs that Otonashi created.

"Had 'fun' collecting your doll?"

Kei asked, crossing his arms. Otonashi smiled.

"It was a simple matter to re-write the corruption of an NPC I created. Too bad the other one was already facing off with Kou at that time so retrieval was impossible."

"You weren't planning on retrieving him in the first place."

Kei pointed out, make Otonashi shrug.

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

Kei sighed, shaking his head in dismay as he knew he would never get an answer out of Otonashi like this.

"So? Is your 'side' done?"

Kei changed the subject. Otonashi smiled, snapping his fingers and making a chair appear, seating himself on it.

"Yes, it is done. Still, it is much harder than I had first anticipated. Sending every single one of those souls back to the real World is no easy feat. Both the SSS and the SSS2 are gone."

Otonashi said.

"For you, such a thing was an easy task."

Kei pointed out, making Otonashi smile.

"Well, I did not say it was 'impossible'. Also, I've erased all of their memories of this place."

Otonashi added, taking a sip of tea poured by Amagami Futayo.

"What about those on the 'outside'? Those... Shadow Workers?"

"They will not bother us for sometime. I've sent them a message to destroy their data about this World."

"We do not need anyone to know of this World. People are better off without the knowledge that a World like this exists."

Kei nodded in agreement, making Otonashi raise an eyebrow.

"Who said anything about that? I just didn't want any more of those idiots to come back here and disturb my rest."

"Sure, sure, old man."

Kei laughed before turning to Rei.

"Now then, it is time for the final part."

Rei looked at Kei, puzzled.

"Final.. part? It's not over?"

Kei looked back at Rei quizzically.

"Of course it isn't. You certainly did not think that there would not be any clean-up necessary?"

Kei asked.

"Just as how Chaos was never meant to exist in a physical form, the same must be applied to Order and Truth."

Otonashi said.

"... You mean to destroy me."

Rei deduced, making Otonashi smile.

"I knew you were smart. As expected. Imagine if all of World's Order and Truth were concentrated and kept in a single person. Only that one person had the power over Order and Truth. That person could rule over everything else and that is no better than a tyrant. At least in the eyes of the masses."

"... Humans hate to see 'unfairness'."

Rei said.

"Exactly. Humans want to believe that everything is fair and that everything is equal. The only thing that is equal for humans is the fact that they are given life. But the life they were born into, the type of life they choose to live, these are all unequal. Dictators, tyrants, monopoly. These are terms often associated with evil. Putting tyranny aside, a 'Dictator' is one who rules through force while a 'Monopoly' is to have one person or group have complete dominance and control of a certain area. Are these necessary evil? No. A skilled dictator is always better than a democracy of idiots. However it is not whether it would serve the people 'better' or not. Humans are superficial creatures, after all. If they don't like the look of it, don't like the sound it, they will associate with evil. Your existence, though made up of everything that is 'good', is considered 'evil' because of what you are. Of course, while we cannot have you remain as you are now, we will have to call upon you when Chaos returns."

Otonashi's words did not make Rei any more satisfied with that it all meant in the end.

"... So... you're going to just throw aside anything that has fulfilled their usefulness."

Rei said, making Otonashi lean back in his chair.

"I will do what is right... not what people want."

Rei knew that it was pointless to talk to Otonashi at this point. In any case, Rei did not feel like he had any right to exist any more.

"Just get it over with. An NPC like me will only cause more disturbances in the World if I am left like this."

Rei sighed. Otonashi got up from his chair and walked over to Rei, placing both of his hands on Rei's shoulders. A soft smile came on Otonashi's face, the only time Rei would see Otonashi with an expression fitting for a 'father'.

"Katsuragi Rei... my brightest and best child. You were everything I had hoped for and more. You exceeded my expectations and went beyond what you were meant to be. You are no NPC, Rei, remember that. You have a mind to understand the World. You have courage to face the unknown and the powerful. You have the soul to accept those who stand beside you. You have a heart that loved. Sleep now, my child... sleep and dream and peacefully dream."

Otonashi's words made Rei feel drowsy. His strength being drained from him. His mind turning blank and being light.

"I pray for a good dream that will last... that is the least I can do for you. Dream of happy times. Dream of sad times. Dream of times of regret. Dream of times of victory. Dream of times in love. Dream of times in pain."

Rei could not fight back the fatigue as his vision started to go black. He felt himself being pulled away from his own body. A lightness that he did not know filled him. And the last things that he heard were Otonashi's.

"Dream of times that will let you live the life you always wanted."

_[Program: Katsuragi Rei has been deleted]_

* * *

A/N: Sin;Chaos never used any exclamation marks, if you noticed. That is intentional. Everything that Sin;Chaos does is not suppose to make sense.

For those who have questions about this ending:

Everything has a purpose.


	59. Chapter 59

A/N: And so this is the FINAL CHAPTER! WOO!

I would Like to thank all of you readers for supporting me through out the years for this story. It's been a very... very... very... vvveeerrrryyyy... loooooonnnnggg story. It is so long, it takes up 1.7 MB on notepad. NOTEPAD. Yes, I write with notepad before transferring it to Open Office. Less red lines to distract while I type.

Big thanks to those who reviewed and those who stuck through with me from the beginning.

Those who contributed your characters, thank you for making this story more lively with your contributions! Hope I did your characters some justice!

Like I said before, I will be writing some game fics for some time. I do have a whole bunch of side stories for this fic, but I do not think I will be uploading them for some time until I'm satisfied with them. They may be short stories but if I get too hyped up, they'll end up ten chapters or more for each short story, then it wouldn't be a short story anymore.

In the side stories will include the prequel, how Yuki came to power, how she created the SSS2 etc. etc. It will also include random stuff that I took out of the main story to conserve time.

Well, that's it for me and this story. This chapter is filled with links to both of my fics AS WELL AS the anime. If you still remember the anime, you will remember some parts. And in case you had forgotten, the characters from the anime, the original SSS, have had their surnames changed to match their voice actors.

**Good luck finding all of them and thanks again for reading!**

* * *

_Angel Beats!_

_What We Live For_

_Operation 59_

_What We Live For_

It was not the feeling of being alone, nor was it the feeling of longing. It was something more profound. Something more complex, unexplainable, unattainable. Something was calling out. Something was yearning. To meet, to find one another. It was not attraction, but like two pieces of a puzzle that was just meant to fit. Two pieces that were made together in a board filled with other pieces. A place where the two once were. The place of memories, of pain, of hardships. The place filled with horror and despair.

The place that was a battlefield, and yet the field of salvation. It was all so familiar yet distant. A field of broken swords, placed in the ground like grave markers of the dead that were unavenged. The feeling of hate, the feeling of regrets, was overwhelming. And yet there was a light at the far end. A light so small, so dim, so fragile, and yet holding onto the attention of all so strongly that none can do anything but stare at its small wonder. And from that small light came words that were not spoken, but known.

_'Behold the light in all of its splendour, hold it not within the hands but in the heart. Know within thyself what is thy own desire. Forget not what thy seeks. It is not the light that thou should seek, but what the light means. Step forward if thou dares to brave the fires. Step forward if thou wishes to claim what is thy right. If thou truly deserves it, claim the light, and the right to live.'_

"..."

I lay there, eyes wide open and staring at the plain white ceiling. What the heck was that dream? 'Claim the light'? Why does that sound like some very badly written script for some old retro game? Skip retro, I think it goes back to the stone-age era of games. Did stone-age people play games? I turn my head and looked to the window. It was starting to get bright. The clock that sat on the window sill had its hands tick away towards the hour.

"... Five... four..."

I slowly murmur, counting the seconds as I reached my hand over the clock

"Two... one..."

**RRIIINNGG-**

I immediately slammed my hand down on the clock, hitting the snooze button on the machine and shutting its alarm off. I got up and stretched a little, letting my muscles slowly awaken.

"As always."

I stifled a yawn, sitting straight up on my bed and staring blankly at the rest of my room. For some reason, I never really got around to tidy it up properly. Littered with books and games, I guess I had to do some tidying before my mother finds out.

"The last time I tidied up was... last night? ... ah."

I suddenly remembered what happened the night before.

"... I was scolded by mom to clean my room, only to find some books that I forgot about... then found some games that I didn't finish... then..."

One thing led another and somehow or rather the mess in my room went from being horrendously messy, to massive destruction on a natural disaster scale.

"... I'm going to die... I'm definitely going to die."

I muttered to myself.

"Okaa-sama's going to do her _'super-tornedo-suplex'_ on me for sure."

Just the thought of mom's 'secret' move was more than enough to send shivers down my spine.

"In the first place, how did she manage to learn that move? Given her size she shouldn't... hmm?"

I noticed something was amiss. Aside from the fact that my room was the very picture of a mad scientist's laboratory, it seemed as though my room was a little too quiet.

"... My clock."

I turn around and looked to my clock. Since I hit the snooze button, my clock should be ringing just about now-

"... Oh..."

Seeing my clock on the window sill was not exactly what I had expected it to be, unless of course you would consider your normal average alarm clock to be smashed inwards with bits of wires and circuits sticking out.

"... Oops."

I swore I did not use a whole lost of strength! No, it isn't my strength, it is merely the velocity of the swinging of my arm through the air. That's right, I did nothing wrong. My clock was wrong. It was in the wrong place.

"... I'm so dead."

I realised that it did not matter who was in the wrong (I am definitely not wrong), it would all boil down to the same thing. My mom's going to kill me. Dreading the inevitable fate that would await me, I got up from my bed and headed towards the door. For now, it was time to wash up. Stepping out of my room, I walked down the hallway for a slight distance before reaching the wash room I looked at the door opposite the wash room, noting that there were loud snores emitting from within.

"... Still asleep."

Typical, but still, my younger sister should learn to wake up earlier. Doesn't she have club activities? Well, I do, and I'm not going to let some sleep deprivation ruin my chance going to the nationals. After quick wash up, I headed back into my room and looked for my uniform. A simple white shirt and tie with a black blazer over the top. As for the bottom, guys get a black pants whereas girls get a black and red chequered skirt. I looked at myself in the mirror in my room and took a hair-band that was sitting on the table, tying up my long hair into a tail. My long silver hair was quite tough to maintain but since it was something I got from my mother, I guess I should treasure it. Too bad my mother is quite the nag.

Once I was satisfied with my own reflection, I walked across the messed up floor of my room (or as my sister puts it, 'the battlefield'), and grabbed the tall black cloth-wrapped object that was sitting at the edge of my bed. My partner for so long had never let me down and feeling it in my hands made it all the better. I headed out of my room and down the stairs to the dining room where a nice smell of breakfast came wafting through. Walking into the dining room itself, I saw the usual breakfast scene. My sister, still being asleep, was absent as always. My mother was in the kitchen, humming the tune to a song that probably came from their famous singer-friend. My father, sitting at the head of the table, was looking through the day's newspaper.

"Morning."

I said, taking my seat at the table on my father's left.

"Good morning, did you take care of your room last night?"

My father asked, not putting down the paper. I sat there quietly without an answer, which was an answer for my father.

"... Your mother is going to be pissed."

He said quietly.

"I know."

I simply replied, heaving a sigh.

"What are the two of you whispering over there?"

My mother asked as she brought my breakfast to the table. My mother is a petite woman with long flowing silver white hair. She had the grace and beauty that no one could deny, earning her the nickname 'Angel of San-chome shopping district'. Why san-chome shopping district? Because she always goes there for grocery shopping. Well, it is the nearest one to our home, so you can't really complain. Setting a bowl of rice and soup for me, my mother took her seat opposite mine at the table, on my father's right. Breakfast, rice, grilled fish, miso soup, and pickles. Just what everyone needs to start the day. The same can't be said for my sister, who essentially has evolved to skip breakfast altogether. The same cannot be said for my mother either, as she set her own breakfast on the table. The dreaded red bowl of fire and lava.

"... Erm... Okaa-sama."

I spoke up, making my mother look at me.

"Yes?"

"... Are you seriously going to eat mabo-tofu for breakfast?"

I ask, and my mother nodded.

"Of course. I didn't have time to make it for the past few days so I've really been having a strong craving for it. Want some?"

"NO! And what do you mean 'past few days'? ! You made nothing BUT mabo tofu for dinner two nights ago! Half of this family went to dad's workplace!"

I snapped, though my mother did not really bother with my concerns as she merrily went on to eat her food.

"Now now, your mother was just trying to let all of you enjoy the taste of her favourite food, that's all."

My father said, trying to calm the situation though the fact that you still have not put down the newspaper, or the fact that your hands are shaking so much, does not add any form or sense of credibility to your words, dear father of mine.

"Otou-sama! Don't you feel embarrassed? ! You're a doctor and yet you yourself got admitted to the same hospital you work at! And for what? Eating lava!"

"Ha ha ha..."

My father's reaction was a simple weak laugh. Convincing metre is in the negative regions, dear father of mine!

"A-ah, speaking of which, w-where's your sister?"

My father tried to steer the conversation away from himself.

"Her? She's still asleep."

I replied, deciding that trying to get my father to realise his own mistakes was a mistake on my own part.

"Shouldn't she be awake? She has club activities in the morning like you, right?"

"You mean her kendo club? She doesn't have to go for them."

I explained, digging into my food.

"She was sort of forced to join the kendo club after she saved one of the members from a delinquent. Her actual club is the 'tea-ceremony' club, and they do not have any activities in the morning."

"She joined the 'tea-ceremony' club? That violent sister complex daughter of mine?"

Her father seemed surprised.

"It is for that exact reaction that she did not want to tell you."

I muttered.

"Now now, there's no need to over-exaggerate. We promised to support our daughters in whatever choices they make."

My mother turned to my father, who simply sighed behind his newspaper.

"If only her choices were sane. Why don't you go wake her up?"

My father turned the question back to me.

"No way."

"She does not wake up when your mother or I try to wake her. You're the only one who can."

"Which is why I said no."

I said.

"That girl has more screws loose than that flashing friend of yours, otou-sama. Her sister complex is too much. The last time I tried to wake her, that girl forced me on her bed and tore my uniform open like a mad man."

That was a horrible nightmare that I definitely do not want to repeat.

"Doesn't that show you how much she loves you as a sister?"

My mother asked, her tone in her usual 'oblivious' mode.

"That's the whole problem! She IS my sister!"

At times my mother's naivete can rival some of her friends. And trust me, I have no idea what sort of friends my parents made when they were in high school, but they are all crazy, naive idiots. Seriously, are they adults? Even my own parents, my own blood, is nuts. Looks at my sister and you will see all the proof you need.

"But do you hate her?"

My mother asked, making me pause.

"... No... After the million times she tried to kiss me, the thousand times she tried to rape me, no. I don't hate her."

"That's one word too much."

My father said.

"That's the truth."

I muttered.

"Ah yes, did you finish up what I asked you to do?"

My mother asked, making me choke slightly on my food.

"Er... Look at the time! I'm late!"

I quickly scrambled to my feet.

"Thanks for the food!"

I said, grabbing my things and heading straight for the entrance way before my mother could stop me.

"Kou! Come back here!"

My mother's shout echoed from the dining room.

"I promise I'll clean it up tonight! And can you buy a new alarm clock? Thanks! I'm off!"

Without waiting for another moment, I jumped straight into my shoes and dashed out of the door.

* * *

She sighed, shaking her head at her daughter's actions.

"That girl, that's the fifth clock she broke this month. I swear she is becoming more like you."

She said to her husband, who finally folded up his newspaper, running a hand through his own reddish orange hair.

"But she has your looks, Kanade. Isn't that good enough?"

He smiled, making his wife blush somewhat.

"Flattery will get you no-where, Yuzuru."

Kanade pointed out, taking another spoon full of mabo tofu before she noticed the time on the clock that hung on the wall.

"Don't you need to hurry up to the hospital?"

She asked. Yuzuru shook his head.

"There isn't a need for me to head in so early. Besides, there is still that other 'patient' that I was asked to look after, so I will be heading towards 'there' first."

"You mean that prestigious family? You may be the best doctor in the hospital, but you're also a consultant there. Don't you have the authority to send someone else?"

Yuzuru sighed, leaning back in his chair.

"It is a favour to a friend who helped me get my job. The Kurogane's are very influential, even if they had suffered 'that' incident."

"That was twenty years ago."

"And his wife still hasn't been sane ever since she murdered her own daughter."

Yuzuru and Kanade kept silent for awhile after that.

"... Yuzuru, there are times when I see Kou... and she looks exactly like the daughter of the Kurogane who was murdered... Kou is at the now at the same age as when that girl died... Sometimes I wonder if-"

Kanade wanted to say more but Yuzuru cut her off by holding her hand tightly.

"Don't worry. Both of our daughters will not suffer any misfortune. And you are a strong woman, Kanade. I'm sure that every choice we make is the right choice for our family."

"Yuzuru..."

At that moment, a sudden sound of a loud crash from the hallway outside the dining room, made both of them put some distance between themselves just in time before a very groggy and bruised young girl dragged her feet into the dining room, her uniform, though the same her older sister's was in a far worse condition, bring crumpled and untucked. Unlike Kou, who despite being tomboyish still knew how to behave and act like a girl, this one was just rough and out-going from all angles. Even her reddish orange hair that she shared with her father was unkempt and going all over the place. She tried to follow her older sister and keep her hair long but it was pointless to keep her hair long if she did not maintain it like her sister does.

"Morning, tou-san, kaa-san... fwaahhh."

The girl yawned loudly before throwing her bag onto the floor and dropping herself onto her chair.

"Good morning Len. I see you still fall down the stairs when you're half awake. Your sister left already."

Yuzuru said and Len nodded.

"I know... I heard onee-sama's voice... which is why I-fwaaahhh... tried to get ready as fast as possible... it's just impossible for me..."

Len muttered.

"You should learn more from Kou."

Kanade said, setting before Len her breakfast, which was toast, eggs, ham and coffee. The difference in what the two sisters ate showed the difference in their personality already. Len did not fully register the food despite her hands moving automatically to eat the food.

"Don't you have kendo practice? Kou went for her kyuudo practice."

"I'm only an honorary member... they just call me for competitions and to show my face once in a while. They even said I did not need to make the mandatory attendance requirement. What's the point of me joining their club if I don't go in to practice?"

Len grumbled, showing her obvious unhappiness with her situation.

"Isn't it because they know you are strong enough to win without much practice?"

Kanade asked, sitting back down at her seat to continue eating her mabo tofu. Len was about to say something about that mabo tofu but saw her father give off an alarming amount of silent cues to tell her not to say anything about the tofu.

"... Onee-sama is better than me at it... sigh, if only onee-sama would join the kendo club as well, I would go there every day."

"As always, you love your sister very much."

At Yuzuru's comment, Len's eyes suddenly lit up and her energy levels surged.

"Of course! Onee-sama is a goddess! Onee-sama is the epitome of perfection! There is nothing that onee-sama cannot do! And I, as the leader of onee-sama's fan club, will prove it to the World!"

Len shouted, banging her fist on her table.

"'Fan club'? Really... what is this girl of ours thinking?"

Kanade sighed.

"As of now, three quarters of our school are registered members of onee-sama's fan club! Soon the whole school will be under onee-sama's rule! After all, onee-sama is the daughter of the san-chome shopping district Angel and chairwoman of the school."

Len pointed out, making Kanade shake her head in dismay.

"One has become a school idol, and the other is a sister-complex violent idiot. If I knew what problems my two daughters would cause in the school, I would not have tried to put you both in. What are you going to do when your sister finds someone she loves?"

**" "I WILL NOT ALLOW IT!" "**

Both Len and Yuzuru suddenly shouted at the same time.

"... The two of... Kou is a healthy young woman who will eventually find someone like how I found your father. You cannot expect Kou to be single all the time, do you?"

Kanade asked her daughter and husband and the two gave her the straightest face she had ever seen.

**" "OF COURSE I DO." "**

"Len, please grow up. Yuzuru, I will have a word with you later."

The two of them immediately kept quiet as Kanade's stern 'nag' mode was switched on. Len then looked up and saw the time.

"All right, it's time for me to go. I won't be able to catch onee-sama's practice if I go too late."

She said, draining her cup of coffee.

"Ah, Len, I'm going to be running late to the school, so do you mind handing this to Maeda-sensei in the faculty room?"

Kanade pulled out a large brown envelope and pushed it to Len, who immediately deflated her energy levels since the conversation shifted away from talking about her sister.

"Eeeehh?"

"Don't 'eeeh' me. Come on, I need to pick up Yuri at the airport."

Len raised an eyebrow at that.

"You mean Sakurai oba-san?"

Len asked.

"She's 'Taeno Yuri'. I know you and Kou have known her for a long time, but that does not give you an excuse to forget that she's married."

"But oba-san kept telling us to call her by her maiden name. Does that mean that Yuki-chan is coming to visit as well?"

"Well, since the elementary school that Yuki goes is closed for a festival, I guess Yuki may be coming along. Anyway, you need to go now, otherwise you'll be late. Don't forget the envelope."

Kanade sternly warned Len, who simply nodded and took the envelope before dragging her feet towards the exit.

"By the way, what's inside?"

Len asked, popping her head back into the dining room.

"It's not your concern."

Kanade said, clearing up the dishes.

"Oh, come on, kaa-san, tell me, pleeeaasse?"

Len begged with her puppy eyes. Kanade sighed, finally relenting.

"It's simply a new transfer student. Maeda sensei knows about it and I forgot to hand him the details of the student."

"Oh, just that. Huh."

Len sighed, finding that piece of information to be utterly boring.

"All right, I'm off!"

Len shouted from the entrance way of the house before running out and closing the door behind her.

"So, Yuri is coming to visit. It's going to be hell."

Yuzuru sighed, getting up from his seat and putting on his tie.

"Be nice, Yuzuru. Ever since Yuri moved to that mountain village, she had to put up with a lot of things. Ah, your tie is crooked."

Kanade walked over to Yuzuru helped him with his tie.

"Oh, Hatsune-san is also coming over tonight, so I will have to go to the market after work and buy additional ingredients. I think we could do a sukiyaki tonight."

"Geh, Hatsune..."

"Don't tell me you forgot already?"

Kanade raised an eyebrow at her husband.

"Er..."

"She's your own sister and you cannot remember that much."

Kanade sighed, re-doing his tie from scratch after she gave up trying to fix the problem that he made.

"... We've come a long way, haven't we?"

Yuzuru asked his wife, who merely smiled as she straightened his tie.

"Through thick or thin, Yuzuru. We will always have one another and this family."

"This is the life we made together and nothing else can bring me such happiness. This happiness is what I had lived for."

* * *

I ran through the streets, realising that I was actually running late. Making sure that my precious partner (bow), was secured, I kept running in the direction of the school. If only the I did not miss that bus, I would not have gotten myself in this predicament. I sort of remember this scene from one of my games, where the main heroine is running late for school and has a piece of bread in her mouth for some reason and she bumps into the main protagonist. Some sort of star-fated meeting? I have no idea but in the first place, do people actually run with bread in their mouths?

I had seen my classmate, Kimura Yamato, try to act out but ended up running at full speed, which no one could really stop, and crashed into a wall. Unfortunately, the wall had to be repaired. Seriously, what is Yamato made of? She is just as crazy as her mother, although Kimura Yui oba-san was a whole other problem in itself. That woman is so random and crazy that she is often said to be the pure opposite of my mother, Kamiya Kanade, even though they were all friends in school for one reason or another.

If my mother is called the 'Angel', then Kimura Yui oba-san can be called the 'devil', or at least the 'crazy one'. Her hobbies and interests can jump the extremes in a matter of minutes. What does Hideki oji-san see in her anyway? I still remember the time she tried to sing a rock song that another of their friends, the famous singer 'Marina', or as I call her by her real name, Sawashiro onee-san. She doesn't like being called 'oba-san'. But when Kimura Yui oba-san tried to sing it, the cords got tangled up and for one reason or another, Yui oba-san got herself wrapped up in the cords like a snake coiled around its prey.

Going back to Yamato, while she is not as crazy as her mother, she does get an overly absurd amount of energy that needs to be directed in some stupid manner. It is not directed in that stupid manner because Yamato is stupid, but rather it is most often due to that girl's innate ability to accidentally get into such stupid situations. And those situations were usually stopped by Ein sensei, one of the two foreign born teachers, who had a certain tough-guy outlook on things to the point it actually grates my nerve. Too much testosterone.

"Woah woah."

I almost got lost in my own thoughts that I almost forgot to take the next left turn. I took the turn at a speed that I really shouldn't be taking it with. Remember kids, running around blind corners are dangerous. Too bad I did not get anyone to teach me that and as I took the corner, it came too late for me to stop when I saw someone right around the corner. And so the inevitable occurs.

"Ow!"

Crashing into another person at full speed is not a very nice experience and I would highly recommend anyone to avoid it if they can. As though running into walls was bad enough, running into people just made things worse. I landed on my butt, feeling slightly dazed as a slight sore ached from my head, the point which made contact with whoever I just crashed into. I was seeing slight stars that took on the shape of my sister Len, running in circles around my head. Why Len? Why couldn't it be the main protagonist from 'Tales of Heroes' game I played last night?

"Ah! My partner!"

I quickly remembered that I was carrying my bow. Frantically looking around, I could not find it anywhere around me.

"Erm... excuse me, but is this what you were looking for?"

A voice called out, a voice that seemed all too familiar. A voice that made her heart skip a beat. It was calling out to her. That voice. 'Claim the light'. Standing before me, was a young man. His hair was messy and unkempt but still had a certain style to it. His clear blue eyes seemed to draw me in. 'Seek not what the light is, but what the light means'.

"Is this yours?"

The young man asked again, holding onto a long object wrapped in black cloth.

"Ah! My bow!"

I took it from him and inspected it closely. So far no cracks or damages.

"Thank you for protecting my bow."

I bowed a little, but I was still on the floor so it was a little weird to bow while sitting.

"No no, It was my fault in the first place. Here, let me help you up."

He said, offering a hand. I could not help but stare at that hand. Why was it so important? It felt as though my entire life depended on that hand. As though everything in my life had led up to this point. I was a little hesitant to take his hand, but my heart knew that there was nothing wrong. It was all meant to be. 'Step forward'. All that mattered was this one simple gesture. 'Step forward and claim it'. And so I did reach out for it. Taking his hand, the young man pulled me to my feet.

"I'm sorry for bumping into you."

He apologised once more.

"A-ah, no no, it's my fault for running too quickly."

I then noticed that he was wearing the same uniform as me. Was he from the same school? And by the colour of his tie, he was the same age as me. But I do not recognise him.

"That uniform... are you from my school?"

I asked. The young man looked at my clothes before looking at his own.

"I-it seems so."

He answered awkwardly, and somehow it made me laugh a little, which only added to his own embarrassment.

"You're new around here, aren't you?"

"Y-yes. I just moved here and transferred to the school. I thought of making my way to the school to learn the routes to take but I think I took a wrong turn somewhere."

Somehow, just talking to him makes me feel alive and calmed. Like how this was all just like a dream.

"No no, you're on the right path. I'm on my way there now as well. Want to join me?"

"Eh? Are you sure?"

"How can I be 'not' sure? Do you want to be lost until the bell rings?"

"I would rather avoid that if possible."

He replied, smiling as though he had found something interesting. I smiled back as I extended out my hand to him.

"My name is Kou. Kamiya Kou."

He was slightly hesitant but took my hand, smiling softly. A smile that I had seen before. A smile that I know.

"I'm Rei. Otonashi Rei. This will be an interesting year."

I only smiled at his words.

"Hasn't it been already?"

* * *

"You are being quite sly."

Kurogane Kei said. Otonashi Yuzuru sat in his chair, resting his head on his hand.

"In what way?"

Otonashi asked innocently.

"You said Kou would never be able to pass on, due to the corruption of Chaos that she had to take in."

"I did not say that. I only said that 'that girl' will never be able to pass on. The shell known as 'Kurogane Kou' cannot pass on as it became transformed into Chaos. But the essence, the soul of the 'shell' is still the same, as long as it has had its one regret fulfilled."

"That's a really roundabout way of doing things."

Otonashi smiled and nodded in agreement.

"It is certainly so. But it is also these sorts of roundabout methods that seem to work the best. Rules and systems are there to put people in their place. It is constricting, suffocating and rigid. But rules always serve a purpose. Know those purposes and understand them. Once you do, you are able to do anything you like."

"... What a tyrannical way of putting things. What about Rei? You deleted him."

"What I deleted was his 'program'. Do you remember what I told him?"

"That he wasn't a program."

"Exactly. Let me ask you this. What makes a human? Is it flesh and blood? Is it the ability to think critically? Is it having a soul? Or is it being able to feel and fall in love? Katsuragi Rei is my finest work not only because he was able to defeat Chaos, but because he became human. From mere scripts and codes written like some other computer, he transformed, evolved. What does it take to be a human? People can say out right that Rei is not human because he was made by a program, that he was an NPC. But that is wrong. If art is the expression of emotion, and a computer makes an exact copy of that same art piece, is it still not the same expression of emotion? What makes the process so different in the result is the same? There is no such thing as right or wrong, Kurogane Kei, there is only what people perceive, and what they wish to believe in. Rei is, by all accounts, human. He has every right to be one. He has earned that right and I can for a sure fact that there are thousands, millions of humans who cannot even match him in being what they 'are'. They are not worth to be called 'humans' any longer."

"There you go again, your mad man's way of talking. But I guess I understand where you are coming from."

Kei sighed, snapping his fingers and making a chair of his own, sitting down on it.

"Humans act in accordance to what they see, what they hear, what they experience. They take things at face value and propagate things that others preach. But the most important thing in life... is to find something worth living for and protecting it. Isn't that right, student council president Otonashi?"

Otonashi smiled, taking a sip from his cup.

"That is the reason we all live for, disciplinary committee president Kurogane, that is the reason we strive to achieve throughout our lives. That is what we live for."

* * *

**END**


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